Medicare’s annual open enrollment period begins October 15 and ends December 7. During this time, current Medicare beneficiaries have the option to adjust their coverage for the coming year. Any changes to your plan will go into...
Read More
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Most likely, you’ve heard what’s brewing in Washington, D.C., called by one of these names.The Build Back Better Act. Or the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill. Or the Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan for Working...
Read More
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
With June officially behind us, it’s time to face the facts: we’re headed toward the second half of 2021. While there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the rest of summer, we encourage you to slow down and check up on...
Read More
Monday, June 14, 2021
Recently, you may have seen headlines regarding the Securing a Strong Retirement Act, also referred to as the second version of the SECURE Act, or SECURE Act 2.0.As the bill moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate, many...
Read More
Thursday, June 10, 2021
If there is a "silver lining" to all the inflation talk, it may be that Social Security benefits are expected to see a larger-than-normal increase in 2022.Preliminary estimates call for a 4.7% cost-of-living increase (COLA) in Social...
Read More
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Stocks closed mixed last week as signs of continued economic recovery and upbeat earnings helped some sectors while the struggles persisted for high-growth companies.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.67%, while the Standard...
Read More
Monday, May 17, 2021
Will your retirement dreams match your reality?That's perhaps the most critical question to ask people who are currently retired. Was your retirement what you expected, or was it something else?For more than 30 years, the Employee...
Read More
Monday, April 26, 2021
It can be exhausting trying to keep up with the whims of Wall Street.Lately, the financial markets have been fixated on federal taxes and what may be proposed on Capitol Hill in the weeks and months ahead.Wall Street’s focus on...
Read More
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Stocks reached record highs last week, riding the tailwind of improving economic data and a strong start to the earnings season.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.18%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.37%. The...
Read More
Friday, April 16, 2021
Are your financial goals well-defined? While "I want to have lots of money" may sound like a great goal, it's just too vague. How much is "lots?" If you don’t know … how will you know when you have it? And will the...
Read More
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Spend today, save tomorrow?Okay, we've all been there. But if it seems you're always living paycheck-to-paycheck and never able to save anything for the future, then it may be time to make a change .April is Financial Literacy Month....
Read More
Monday, April 12, 2021
Strong economic data and a resurgent technology sector propelled stocks to solid gains last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.95%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 picked up 2.71%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq...
Read More
Among the many changes arising from the pandemic, one of the most noticeable was a change in American spending habits.A survey released in March 2021 by Pew Research shows that Americans have increasingly chosen to put away what extra...
Read More
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Overcoming a rocky start, stocks rallied into the close of a holiday-shortened week of trading as technology shares staged a powerful recovery and investors reacted positively to President Biden’s infrastructure spending...
Read More
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
For those with a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), there may be some good news on the horizon. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, boosts the amount that companies can allow workers to...
Read More
Monday, March 22, 2021
Less than one month ahead of the traditional date, the I.R.S. has delayed the deadline for filing and paying taxes. The new deadline is May 17, 2021.1,2,3The delay follows continued disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and a late...
Read More
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Most people understand that stock prices don't go straight up. But when market volatility increases, the price action can test the mettle of even the most seasoned investor.In recent weeks, stock prices have trended lower with a few...
Read More
Monday, March 15, 2021
Stocks touched new record highs last week as bond yields steadied, a fiscal relief bill was signed into law, and confidence in a strong economic recovery grew.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.07%, while the Standard &...
Read More
Monday, March 1, 2021
On Monday, Feb. 22, the White House announced several changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that went into effect on Wednesday, Feb. 24. These changes are intended to further target “the smallest businesses and those...
Read More
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Every few months, you may hear the phrase “earnings season” as you listen to financial news.But what exactly is “earnings season,” and why is it important to Wall Street?Earnings season is the time when a...
Read More
Monday, February 1, 2021
You may have heard the news about stocks for certain companies suddenly ballooning, quickly going from lunch money prices to several hundred dollars a share. In one case, the shares rose over 1700% since December 2020.1 So, what...
Read More
Monday, January 25, 2021
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that tax season will start a little later than usual. This year the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2020 tax returns on Friday, February 12, 2021.1In light of the December...
Read More
Monday, November 9, 2020
After many weeks of telegraphing a long and careful ballot count, this week’s election lived up to that prediction in races for the Senate, the House, and the presidency. While Americans voted Tuesday, Wall Street cast its...
Read More
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Earnings are coming in, reflecting the third quarter of 2020. However, it’s important not to jump to any conclusions about the state of the overall economy based on the results reported from a small handful of companies...
Read More
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
It should come as no surprise to hear the economy is the top issue for voters in the 2020 election. Nearly 8 in ten voters say that the economy will be very important to them when they cast their votes.1But when voters say...
Read More
The upcoming election is prompting some people to reconsider their investment strategy.In fact, 45% of consumers with $100,000 or more investable assets expect to make changes to their portfolio due to the upcoming 2020 presidential...
Read More
Friday, October 16, 2020
Due to COVID-19, Americans are spending more time at home than ever before, leading to a record amount of spending on home improvement.1It’s not that big of a surprise since many Americans now find their homes are doing triple...
Read More
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
When training to become a financial professional, much of our course work centers on the six critical areas of creating a financial strategy. Some recognize October as Financial Planning Month, so it's an excellent opportunity to...
Read More
Monday, October 5, 2020
Stocks were mixed last week as worries that stretched from Washington D.C., where prospects of a new fiscal stimulus bill dimmed, to Europe, which saw an increase of new COVID-19 cases.The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.75%,...
Read More
Friday, October 2, 2020
There hasn’t been much merger and acquisition activity through 2020. This diminished activity comes despite low interest rates, which may help companies manage the cost of borrowing for a purchase. Some of this makes sense, in...
Read More
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
As the U.S. presidential election draws near, expect to see more and more headlines that propose, "What will happen next if this person is elected?" or, "What policy changes to prepare for in the next four years?"In reality, however,...
Read More
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably been thinking about your health quite a bit lately — especially if you’re approaching retirement. Trust me, I understand. Anticipating your future medical costs can...
Read More
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
With all of the storm and stress of the year 2020, you’d be forgiven if you momentarily forgot that we’re due for another national election in November. Many states will be selecting governors, representatives, and...
Read More
Thursday, September 10, 2020
"Will I outlive my retirement money?" That's one of the top fears for people who are starting to prepare for their retirement years.So I have to chuckle a bit when I see headlines that say, "Here's how much money Americans think they...
Read More
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Two high-profile companies—Apple and Tesla—have announced stock splits in the past few weeks, which makes it a great time to discuss what’s involved when a company announces a stock split.Remember, any companies...
Read More
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
As many of you know, the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee has eight scheduled meetings each year when the seven board members review the nation's economic activity and set the federal funds rate's target rate.In this...
Read More
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Recently, you may have heard that financial industry regulators established a new set of rules designed to guide investors who work with an investment professional. This new set of rules is called “Regulation Best...
Read More
Lately, it can feel like each day brings a new headline about fluctuating market behavior. But amid the ups and downs of 2020, there may be some potential good news on the horizon. On July 16, 2020, the interest rate for a 30-year...
Read More
Stocks were mixed last week amid a busy week of earnings, some troubling economic data, and seemingly little progress on a new fiscal stimulus package.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.16%, while the Standard &...
Read More
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
One of my favorite Wall Street quotes is from Mark Twain, who said:“October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June,...
Read More
Thursday, July 16, 2020
In the era of COVID-19, and the financial woes it has created, I often get asked, “Why is the stock market holding up so well when the economy appears to be struggling?”To understand why the markets react — or...
Read More