We’ve all heard about the importance of having life insurance, but is it really necessary? Often, the answer is “yes,” but it depends on your specific situation. In general, you should consider life insurance protection if any of the following applies to you: You are married and your spouse depends on your income You have…
On August 14, 2019, the Dow Jones Industrial Avenue plunged 800 points, losing 3% of its value in its biggest drop of the year. The Nasdaq Composite also lost 3%, while the S&P 500 lost 2.9%.1 The slide started with bad economic news from Germany and China, which triggered a flight to the relative safety…
On May 13, 2019, escalating trade tensions between the United States and China sparked a worldwide stock sell-off that wiped out more than $1 trillion in global equity values.1 The markets recovered over the next three days, but tensions between the economic giants continued to drive volatility with no resolution in sight.2 Investors sometimes overreact…
This time of year finds many of our client families vacationing somewhere near the equator. When they return home, they sometimes bring back more than just a tan, returning as an owner of a timeshare and unsure of whether or not to add ‘proud’ to that ownership title. 2018 marked eight consecutive years of growth…
In the life of most working individuals, there’s a turning point, where you move from living paycheck to paycheck to finding a bit of extra money left in your account at the end of each month. What you do with those extra dollars can make or break your future. Recently, a client of ours asked…
Not necessarily in the immediate future—although the probabilities of one have moved higher in recent months—but at some point, yes. Based on a rough survey of indicators put forth by various sources, the odds of one happening in the next year have risen to about one-quarter, with one a few years away are up to…
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended after 35 days on January 25, 2019. A temporary appropriations bill extended funding for shuttered federal agencies to February 15, 2019, while a bipartisan committee negotiates a new spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security.1 The full impact of the shutdown will not be known for…
Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts change annually. Here’s a look at some of the costs that will apply in 2019 if you’re enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). Medicare Part B Premiums According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), most people with Medicare who receive Social Security benefits…
When we tell people that we’re CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals during times of market volatility, we get empathetic looks, paired with comments similar to, “Boy, that must be tough right now. Are your clients calling you in a panic?” This holiday season, we’ve been fortunate to be able to reply honestly, “Not really.” As a…
Technically, we are right on the cusp. By definition, a ‘bear market’ in stocks occurs at the point of a -20% price drop from a recent peak—we’re within a percent or two from that threshold. Although this recent movement seems sudden and severe, and is, relative to the last few years of unusually low volatility,…