With rising housing costs and rising mortgage rates, the overall cost of housing is increasing significantly. We found that from 2021 to 2022, the total cost of home ownership increased from 39% of gross household income to 46%! Before buying a new home, consider ALL the costs involved and how those have increased in the past year.

Any good business has a plan and strategy. Yet most Americans have no personal retirement plan in place. A good plan will focus you on what you need to do today and help you understand risks so you have a better chance of achieving your goals tomorrow.

We are definitely experiencing a correction as markets are down by over 10%. And this includes both equities and fixed income, a feat that doesn’t often happen! So, what should an investor do?

If interest rates are going to continue to rise, does investing in bonds make any sense? Here are 6 reasons to continue to invest in bonds.

Inflation is higher than it’s been in quite a while and everyone reading this is seeing price increases around them.

But what should we make of that information? As usual, it helps to consider current events in a historical context to discover informative insights.

Q1 2022 certainly saw an eventful market. Read our full commentary on Q1 2022 here.

At its March 15–16 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its federal target funds rate by a quarter-point. It was the first increase since December 2018, but it wasn’t a huge surprise. What does this mean and how will it impact the economy?

February certainly saw an eventful market. Read our full commentary on February 2022 here.

Markets have experienced some wild gyrations these past few days with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. How have markets fared in past world conflicts?

Thank you to all who joined us for our recent event, Planning a Smooth Estate Transition. We enjoyed an interactive discussion with guests, creating a great opportunity to understand the complexities and importance of a well-planned estate.

2021 saw inflation up ~7%, prodding the IRS to adjust tax brackets and standard deduction. Read about the changes to taxes in 2022 here.

With the S&P 500 hitting all-time highs in 2021, why not just keep investing in what’s winning? Why take on the risks of other markets when everything is so good with the S&P?

It’s that time of the year! When all the major banks make the forecasts for the year. Yet, before you listen to their 2022 forecasts, we must look back at their previous years’ outlooks to see just how reliable (or unreliable) these one-year forecasts really are.

It’s not enough to just think about your legacy! Preparing an organized and well-communicated estate transition can be a huge blessing to your heirs. Here are some guiding questions and resources.

This 2021 end-of-year guide & checklist provides different strategies to consider to reduce your tax liability and maximize your financial plan. Download our free guide.

Don’t forget to take your 2021 RMDs before year-end! Once you reach age 72, you must start taking withdrawals from your traditional retirement accounts to avoid tax penalties.

2 tax-efficient & strategic ways that may help you use/avoid RMDs in the future include:

+ Roth Conversions

+ Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

Yet another tax proposal has been released as the House struggles to reach a compromise amidst Biden's economic agenda. Here are some updates from the newest proposal including: income taxes, capital gains, estate taxes, Roth conversions, and more.

Medicare open enrollment is from October 15 – December 7th. This is an important time to review and/or modify healthcare coverage whether you are new to Medicare or have been a recipient for many years. Here are a few things to know during this period. 

HSAs carry a unique characteristic that can assist with portfolio decumulation efficiencies in retirement. If you save receipts, you can reimburse yourself from the HSA years later to access tax-free liquidity, in addition to the tax-deferred growth and tax-deductible contribution.

On September 13, 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee released its tax plan. This is from the Committee and must still go before the entire House, and the Senate has yet to develop its own proposal. Still, the current Committee language does much to solidify the Administration’s position on estate taxes and estate planning strategies.