Does the ‘Trump Rally’ Have Legs?
Before we discuss the Trump rally and if it has legs, it is instructive to recap 2016 and how our views and portfolio positioning played out relative to the markets. One of the things our firm does differently than most is how we proactively manage risk in client accounts. When we see red flags beginning […]
IRA Rules for RMDs & Other Withdrawals
You have spent years accumulating assets in your IRA. If you contributed to a traditional IRA, you took a tax benefit during the year you made the contribution(s) by deducting this amount on your tax return. Your earnings can potentially grow tax-deferred until you withdraw the money. If you contributed to a Roth IRA, you […]
Year-End Tax Planning
As 2016 comes to a close, it is a good time to focus on your year-end tax planning. Whether you are having a good year or rebounding from recent losses, you may be able to save some money on your taxes if you make the right moves before the end of the year. Three moves […]
Trump’d
What happened? Last night Donald Trump won a surprise victory in the US presidential election. The victory initially shocked global markets, which had been pricing in the likelihood of a Clinton victory. The initial reaction was heavy selling in overnight markets. At one point, S&P 500 future were down -5%, the downside limit in overnight […]
Are We In The Late Innings Of This Business Cycle?
The current bull market (which began in 2009) will soon be entering its 9th year of expansion. That is quite a long time for a bull market to run without interruption, actually one of the longest on record. This has some investors worrying that we are getting into the late innings of this business cycle, […]
Estate Planning: Trusts
Organizing what happens to your estate in the event you or your loved one passes away is often a difficult subject to broach, albeit very important. In addition to the subject matter being daunting, there is often a lack of understanding of the financial burden that may follow. We think it’s important to educate our […]
Estate Planning: Trusts
Organizing what happens to your estate in the event you or your loved one passes away is often a difficult subject to broach, albeit very important. In addition to the subject matter being daunting, there is often a lack of understanding of the financial burden that may follow. We think it’s important to educate our […]
College Planning
College Planning The cost of receiving a college education continues to rise. For the 2015-2016 school year, the average cost for tuition and fees (does not include room & board) for one year at a private college was $32,405, in-state residents at a public college was $9,410, and out-of-state residents at a public college was […]
How Will This Central Bank Experiment End?
Market volatility: The volatility investors witnessed in the global financial markets at the beginning of the year has certainly lessened in intensity recently, but various issues and events persist that will likely continue to cause flare-ups in market volatility for the remainder of the year. Whether it is the Brexit vote, FOMC meetings, or the […]
“Brexit” Fallout
Markets were caught leaning the wrong way Thursday night when the UK referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union (EU) went in favor of the “Brexit” (i.e. – leave) camp by a 52% – 48% margin of victory. In the week leading up to the vote, several respectable polls had come […]