April 2023 Market Update

The S&P 500 ended the first quarter of 2023 with a solid gain as hopes for an economic “soft landing” and the Fed signaling that their historic rate hike campaign is coming to an end helped offset two rate increases and the biggest bank failures since the financial crisis.

Continue reading

Medicare Will Not Cover All Health Care Costs

Medicare is a critical program that provides essential healthcare services to millions of Americans. However, it is a myth that Medicare will cover all healthcare costs.

While there are insurance options available that can help fill some of these gaps, individuals should be aware of the limitations of Medicare coverage and plan accordingly to ensure they have adequate healthcare coverage.

Continue reading

Emergency Savings Or Your Retirement Goals?

When it comes to personal finance, there are a number of competing priorities that can make it difficult to determine where to focus your efforts. For many people, the choice between building emergency savings and working towards their retirement goals is one of the biggest dilemmas they face. So, which should you focus on first?

Continue reading

Estate Planning Document Review

Just like your annual physical, it’s a good idea to schedule a check-up for your estate planning documents to ensure everything is as you intend. Granted, it’s probably not the most exciting activity on your to-do list, but you don’t want to let important details derail all the work you’ve done.

Continue reading

January 2023 Market Update

2022 was the most difficult year for investors from a return and volatility standpoint since the Global Financial Crisis. Multi-decade highs in inflation combined with historically aggressive Fed rate hikes and growing concerns about economic and earnings recessions to pressure both stocks and bonds. The S&P 500 posted its worst performance since 2008 while major benchmarks for both stocks and bonds declined together for the first time since the 1960s, punctuating just how disappointing the year was for investors.

Continue reading

Preparing for the Sequel to the SECURE Act: 2.0

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed a follow-up bill to the SECURE ACT – the SECURE Act 2.0 – on a nearly unanimous vote. Then in June, the Senate advanced two different pieces of similar legislation that have not yet gained final Senate approval – and time is running out before Congress adjourns for the year.

Continue reading

Will 2022 See a Santa Rally or a Grinch Collapse?

Back in 1972, Yale Hirsch of the Stock Trader’s Almanac proposed the existence of the Santa Rally – and it’s been a constant source of eggnog-fueled debate for decades. 

The Santa Rally refers to the general tendency of the U.S. equity markets to post gains in trading days between Christmas and the first two days after New Year’s, but has recently been extended to include the entire month of December.

Continue reading