Category: Newsletters

The current economic expansion passed the 10-year mark in June 2019, becoming the longest growth streak in U.S. history. Despite its record-breaking durability, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth was slower than…

Estate planning documents can help you manage your estate.

The most important attribute of a cash reserve is its availability in time of sudden need. And even though a federally insured savings account is considered one of the safest places to…

There is an old saying about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Many people might feel that way about providing financial support to children and aging parents while also…

Market Commentary – 10.03.13 The Malfunctioning U.S. Government The U.S. government is in a shutdown. According to “Google,â€쳌 a shutdown is “a closure of a factory or system, typically a temporary closure…

People have traditionally seen Social Security benefits as the foundation of their retirement planning programs. The Social Security contributions deducted from workers’ paychecks have, in effect, served as a government-enforced retirement savings…

Indexed annuities (IAs) set a new annual sales record in 2018, due in part to higher interest rates that allowed insurance companies to offer more appealing income withdrawal rates.1 Of course, the…

If you are concerned about the high costs of long-term care but don’t want to purchase traditional long-term care (LTC) insurance, you might consider two strategies that combine permanent life insurance coverage…

Research conducted by the Urban Institute suggests that many people with apparently stable positions face a job loss after age 50 with serious financial consequences.1 Analyzing data from the University of Michigan…

Monthly Market Monitor – February 2015 Recap Market Indices1 February Year-to-Date S&P 500 5.75% 2.57% Russell 3000 5.79% 2.85% MSCI EAFE 5.98% 6.50% MSCI Emerging Markets 3.10% 3.71% Barclays US Aggregate Bond…

Although most of us are aware of the need for health insurance coverage when determining our risk management needs, many of us fail to consider the possibility that we could become disabled.…

Let’s say you bought shares of stock for $50,000 20 years ago. The company did well, and the stock appreciated so that the shares are now worth $150,000. That would not be…

The insurance industry has introduced different types of insurance to meet consumer needs. For example, universal life insurance was created to provide a solution for many of the perceived shortcomings of whole…

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government. The limits are adjusted periodically to compensate for inflation and increases in the cost of living.

After an unusually steady 2017, the U.S. stock market took a more volatile turn in the first half of 2018.1 A number of factors contributed to this year’s volatility, but trade tensions…

Quarterly Recap – 4th Quarter 2013 Market Indices1 Dec 2013 4Q2013 Year-to-Date S&P 500 +2.53% +10.51% +32.39% Russell 3000 +2.64% +10.10% +33.55% MSCI EAFE +1.50% +5.71% +22.78% MSCI Emerging Markets -1.45% +1.83%…

Market Commentary – 8.05.2014 ISM Reports Help Create Nervous Investors Over the past couple of weeks, U.S. equity markets have been volatile. While geopolitical risk, especially in the Middle East and in…

Have you ever wondered what will happen to your estate after you die? How long will it take for your loved ones to receive the estate you’ve left them? Will each receive…

Monthly Market Monitor: February 2014 Recap Market Indices1 February Year-to-Date S&P 500 +4.57% +0.96% Russell 3000 +4.74% +1.43% MSCI EAFE +5.56% +1.31% MSCI Emerging Markets +3.31% -3.40% Barclays US Aggregate Bond +0.53%…

Market Commentary – 5.13.2014 Weathering First Quarter Earnings Reports With turbulent spring storms serving as a backdrop, U.S. equity markets have been weathering a flurry of 2014 headwinds, including the housing slowdown,…