Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s)
A Health Savings Account, more commonly known as an HSA, can be a powerful tool. To put it simply, an HSA is a savings account. An individual or a family can deposit money into this account to be used for future health care costs; with one caveat: the funds inside the account can only be […]
The Central Bank Effect
As 2018 ended, it appeared as if the Federal Reserve was intent on further interest rate hikes (after 4 in 2018). In addition to interest rate hikes, the Fed had hinted that the reduction in its balance sheet would continue, and was basically on “auto-pilot”. Both of these policies made investors fearful that the Fed […]
Good Debt vs. Bad Debt
Your personal net worth consists of both assets and liabilities. The simple equation to calculate your Net Worth is: Net Worth = Assets – Liabilities Liabilities or debts, often given a bad rap, tend to be overlooked in favor of assets. However, debt can be a powerful tool; the amount you borrow and the way […]
From QE to QT
Investors will be glad to say goodbye to 2018, and especially the final month of last year, which turned out to be the worst December for the stock market since 1931. December is usually a solid month for the market historically, which is probably why so many investment managers were caught off balance by the […]
2018 Year End Planning
With the end of 2018 fast approaching, now is a great time to give your finances a review. The following financial planning moves, if appropriate for your circumstances, are items to consider as we wrap up 2018 and look forward toward 2019. Contribute to 529 Plans 529 accounts are very powerful tools for college savings. […]
Charitable Donations: Stock vs. Cash
As we approach year end and the holiday season, you may be thinking about giving back. According to the Network for Good, 29% of all giving done on their platform in 2016 occurred in December, with 11% taking place over the final three days of the year. Properly planning your charitable contributions can help lead […]
Stocks and Options 101: A Strategy for Managing Risk with HCR Wealth Advisors
Many people think that options are confusing and too complicated, but that doesn’t have to be true. HCR Wealth Advisors educates its clients on investment strategies as a registered investment advisory firm. This is what people need to know about the options trading. The two types of options are puts and calls. When the client buys a […]
Quarterly Market Webcast – November 2018
Mid-term Election Jitters
Investors will recall that 2017 was a year characterized by an extreme lack of volatility in the stock market relative to historical norms. Coming into the current year, we said that investors should expect a pickup in volatility, and that the markets were overdue for a correction. Moreover, mid-term election years have historically exhibited greater […]
The Financial Crisis: Then and Now
Today, we can look back and glean important insights from the financial crisis that began with the U.S. housing market and culminated with a full-blown global credit crunch that affected many countries around the world. This crisis, known as the Great Recession, is the worst recession in the United States since the Great Depression. The […]