Year: 2016

Seasonality charts provides investors with a way to quickly determine which months produce the best returns over time. August, for example, is known for poor performance. However, that has not been the case in 2016. In fact, equity markets have mostly been in another sideways phase and these don’t always…

When planning for retirement, many people think that what they see in their retirement accounts is what they’ll have to spend in retirement. What they sometimes forget about are the taxes they will need to pay on certain withdrawals, like those from traditional 401(k)s and IRAs. “It’s not what you…

Your estate plan should be reviewed regularly to ensure it continues to meets your needs Do you remember when you last reviewed your estate plan? If the answer is when you first signed the stack of documents at your attorney’s office, then you’re not alone. Many of us complete an…

Learn to navigate the costs, shifting coverage options, and insurance policy features. No one really likes to think about needing long term health care services. But the reality is that each year, an estimated 12 million Americans need some type of long term care. Are you prepared? According to the…

Low Rates Likely to Persist A surge in global bond yields is contributing to the rotation into riskier assets. As little as a week ago, however, bond investors and traders were once again dealing with volatility across the maturity spectrum.  Yields plummeted in the wake of Brexit and the fall…

Little more than a week ago, stocks fell precipitously as the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The voters spoke and subsequently sent global markets into a tailspin with the S&P losing almost 6% in just two days. However, in spite of this unexpected outcome, virtually all of…

The stock market has entered the proverbial “sell in May and go away” season, which typically brings summer doldrums and sometimes deep selloffs, as evidenced in 2015 and 2011. Through the end of May, however, the stock market had strung together four straight winning months. Now, we are heading into…

Consider our two-step plan—which keep taxes in mind—to help make the transition. If you’re like many people, you reach retirement with a mix of investments and accounts. After all, there are many tax-advantaged ways to tuck money away for retirement, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), a traditional or Roth…

Increasing your savings by just 1% more now could mean living the retirement you want Does your retirement dream include a spectacular vacation once a year? Eating out every night? Not worrying about money? One way to help make your retirement “happy place” happen is to save now—even a little…

Not just for the wealthy, a thoughtful estate plan can give you and your loved ones true peace of mind. For many people, creating an estate plan is a task that routinely gets pushed to the bottom of the pile. Some assume that estate plans are only for the wealthy….

How to plan your income withdrawal strategy with taxes in mind. Retirement should be a time of freedom—from deadlines and piles of to-dos. But you likely won’t be free of taxes. Although you won’t incur payroll taxes if you’ve stopped working, you will likely continue to owe other taxes on…

Tax-free growth potential and tax-free withdrawals in retirement—the tax benefits of a Roth IRA are clear. If you aren’t able to contribute to a Roth IRA because of the income limits, a Roth conversion for eligible retirement accounts is another way to have a Roth account. But, does it make…