Blog
Politics' Effect on the Stock Market and Taxes
By now I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about politics. I know I sure am. Hopefully, now that the Georgia run-off election is behind us, things will start to calm down. I have been getting a lot of questions from my...
Read MoreSmart Money Moves to Make Before 2020 is Gone!
As we approach the end of 2020 (a year I am sure that most of us will be glad to be done with), now is great time to review your financial plan. So, before the hustle and bustle of the holidays consumes all of your time, consider these...
Read MoreRecent Changes to Retirement Plans That You Should Know About
With the overwhelming amount of information that has been thrown at us this year related to the Coronavirus, you may have missed seeing the sweeping changes to retirement plans that have been enacted recently. Here’s a summary of...
Read MoreWhat to do during a large stock market decline
With the recent speed at which the stock market has been moving on a day-to-day, and week-to-week basis, I can’t even begin to guess where it will be when this article gets published a few weeks from now. But, as of today’s...
Read MoreQualified Opportunity Zone Funds - Investments for Financial and Social Benefit
If you’re not in the commercial real estate business, you may not have heard of Qualified Opportunity Zones (or QOZs). Defined under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, according to the IRS, a QOZ is “an economically-distressed...
Read MoreShow All
Happy 529 Day!
Today is May 29th and the college savings industry annually celebrates this day as “529 Day” (see what they did there? haha). While not recognized as an official National holiday, the day is used to raise awareness of the...
Read MoreStock Market Sell-Off due to China Tariffs
The markets have been mostly down over the past week. The S&P 500 is down a little over -4.5% and the tech heavy Nasdaq is down almost -6% since May 1st. Today was no reprieve with the markets selling off. The Dow and S&P 500 were both...
Read MoreFinancial Planning for Nurses
Today is National Nurses Day, a day to acknowledge and celebrate the vital role that nurses play in our communities and in society, as a whole. Today also kicks off National Nurses Week, which ends on May 12th - the birthday of...
Read MoreFirst Quarter 2019 Investment Review
In the last 6 months the S&P 500 has gone from its worst quarter in over seven years to its best quarter in almost ten years. The S&P 500 index was up 13.65% on a total return (including dividends) basis for the quarter, and the...
Read MoreFourth Quarter 2018 Investment Update
Fourth quarter 2018 ended up being the worst quarter in the stock market in over seven years. The S&P 500 was down -13.52%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down -11.31%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index was down -17.29%. Bonds did...
Read MoreMarket & Economic Review of the First Half of 2018
Here’s our review of the markets and economy in the first half of 2018. Topics include: GDP numbers; Fed Chairman Jerome Powell; the flattening yield curve; quarterly earnings; growth versus value style; Tax-return identity...
Read MoreStock Market Declines over 2% on Friday
As you’ve likely heard on the news, the broad stock market indexes were down sharply yesterday. The day started down and continued to decline with only a few times where it looked like buyers were coming in to offer support. At...
Read MoreTax Cut & Jobs Act Passed!
On Wednesday both houses of Congress passed a final, reconciled tax reform bill, and yesterday it was signed into law by President Trump. It represents the most significant re-write of the tax code in over 30 years. Comparing the final...
Read MoreSummary of the House and Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Early Saturday morning the US Senate passed their version of a tax-reform bill. The bill shares some similarities with, but also has stark differences from, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” bill passed by the House of...
Read MoreDo Investment Fees Matter?
After 20 years of being an advisor, I’m still shocked at how many people still don’t pay attention to the fees associated with the management of their investments. When I ask how much their current advisor charges, if they...
Read MoreStrategies For Managing Student Loan Debt
If college were a party, then student loans are the hangover. Unfortunately, the “hair of the dog” won't cure this headache, but here are some ideas for managing your student loan debt. The programs listed are not intended...
Read More