Blog
Veterans, Don't Miss Out on "Hidden Benefits"
After his grandfather died more than a decade ago, Lamarr Couser and his family were caught by surprise when the funeral director asked whether the World War II veteran was covered by a life insurance policy from the Department of...
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Not Everyone Should Be a Turkey
Today’s report will be a little different than usual. There once again isn’t much new to say about the short-term setup in the market, so while I will discuss that a little, the main emphasis will be on the bigger picture...
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Boost Your Retirement with IRAs and 401(k)s
Remember, early planning puts time on your side Whether retirement is around the corner or decades away, there are more options than ever to help you plan for it. Let’s look at Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)...
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Real Earnings Show Wage Gains Consumed By Inflation
"Critical Thinking is the desire to seek patience, to doubt fondness, to meditate slowness, to assert readiness, to consider carefulness, to dispose and set in order and hatred of every kind of imposter" — Francis Bacon, 1605...
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Protect Your Assets with a Trust
Contrary to what many people think, trusts are not reserved only for the wealthy. The truth is, people from all walks of life may benefit from a trust. What Is a Trust? Generally speaking, a trust is a legal entity that allows someone...
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Don't Suffer from a Pandemic Hangover of Pessimism
Exiting last week, roughly 90% of the S&P 500 constituents have reported their quarterly results, with 82% of them beating on EPS and 68% beating on revenue, which compares to an average of 79% beating on EPS and 65% beating on revenue...
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A Business Plan Can Be Your Guide to Growth
Whether you're a current business owner or a budding entrepreneur burning with the next great idea, one of the most important steps you can take on your road to success is creating a business plan. Why? A well-thought-out and...
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Here Come the Best Days of the Year
Brother wind, rain, a broken supply chain, rising inflation, slowing GDP, flattening bond yield curve, Cushing oil supply hitting critical point, slowing incomes (due to ending of Government subsidies), flagging sentiment, nor...
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What To Know About Impact Investing
Sustainable investing is on the rise, accounting for about $1 in every $3 in actively managed assets.1 And with more investors interested in companies with responsible corporate governance, climate change commitments and long-term...
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The End Draws Near for an Era of Low Inflation
When I am asked what I worry about in the financial markets, the answer usually is "nothing and everything,” because everyone else in the market seems to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying, and so all of the relevant...
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Common Cents: Financial Tips Everyone Should Know
Few U.S. high schools have comprehensive personal finance programs, which means that some teens enter adulthood without a deep base of knowledge on topics like investing, budgeting, and consumer debt. Even those who feel they're fairly...
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Let's Talk About Inflation
In the face of the greatest stimulus in the history of mankind, it is a small wonder that it is leading to the US adding as much debt in the last 18 months as was in place up until 2006 for the whole history of this country. There can...
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4 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Small-Business Owners
The past two years presented many small-business owners with unprecedented challenges. This year’s tax planning preparations include necessary measures for small-business owners to satisfy existing, new and modified tax laws that...
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Is October 15, 2021, the New April 15, 2021?
This week is set to begin earnings season for the third quarter of this year. It should be kicked off with earnings reports from large money center banks. If one were to look at the markets from a week ago, things were starting to look...
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Fed Loves to Blame Inflation on Transitory Effects
But retirees need to remember that inflation is a symptom, not a cause Does increasing inflation boost economic growth? And do dropping prices hurt growth prospects? No and no. But to hear the Federal Reserve tell it when Janet Yellen...
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The Waiting Game
Investors have become preoccupied with Federal Reserve monetary policy with regard to the anticipated tapering of the Quantitative Easing bond-buying program, along with continuing concerns about the virus and the variant. With the...
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The Many Faces of Risk
Knowing the different types of investment risk can help you cope with market volatility. When was the last time you checked your retirement plan balance? If your balance was less than it was the last time you checked, you probably felt...
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Are Storm Clouds Brewing Or Is It A Storm In A Teacup?
It's important to understand where the market has come from over the past couple of weeks. As I have noted in recent missives, the rally that we're seeing following Monday of last week's gap-down panic break on the "supposed"...
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Have You Factored Inflation Into Your Retirement?
Your retirement portfolio might be up, but inflation is crushing your returns On August 11th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index increased 5.4% over the past 12 months. Shockingly, media outlets...
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So Who Is Really Driving This Bus?
I've spoken about the major economic and international elements that seem to be shaping the direction of our US equity markets, but this week seems to be a little more tenuous. In my September 8th missive, I started out by talking...
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How AB 150 Can Benefit California Businesses
California recently joined several other states by enacting a legal workaround for the $10,000 limitation on state and local tax (SALT) deductions.1 This $10,000 limit was part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and had a major...
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Is a 2-3% Correction Considered a Crash?
Valuation is a perfect example of something that investors are told matters a great deal, but I have not seen any real evidence to support that in practice. Those who disagree with me will try to tell me otherwise, but you have to...
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Why Save for Higher Education?
In 2021, 44.7 million Americans are facing the burden of student loan debt. They owe more than $1.53 trillion in student loans. These alarming statistics prove the importance of saving for higher education. In the past, many parents...
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Final 3rd of a Very Interesting Year, What Does a Race to the Finish Look Like?
For the last two weeks, every time it looked like the stock market might correct a bit deeper it (once again) just came right back. As it stands, the only real hook to hang a hat on for the widely expected September swoon is the...
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Inherited IRAs: What You Should Know
The rules and consequences of IRA beneficiary arrangements are complex The rules pertaining to Individual Retirement Account (IRA) beneficiaries can be complicated. Here is a quick look at the limitations the Internal Revenue Service...
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Powell Says Little New and Stocks Like What They Don't Hear
I plan on talking a bit about where the markets are as they seem to continue to go to all-time highs: the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, New York Stock Exchange, and the NASDAQ Growth Index. Yet the negativity and...
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Is the Market Strong or Simply Pushing on a String?
"Secular bull markets tend to last 15-20 years and sometimes longer. So, a case can be made that we are approximately 12 years into this bull market and there is no reason not to expect this one to extend for years to come. In fact,...
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Summer Doldrums Post Covid, Please Tell Me It Isn't So
The Producer Price Index surges to all-time highs, and the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average does as well, hmmmm, that's a little strange. Inflation at the producer level is rising at never-before-seen levels and the indexes...
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