Testing the Challenges of a Long Retirement
We often joke that our job was created because of increasing life expectancies and pensions seldom being offered. Obviously, finance and investing have become more complicated, and there are an ever-increasing number of investment vehicles and planning strategies we help our clients choose between. We also know there is great value placed in our ability […]
The Most Impactful Tax Changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
As we flip our calendars to August, many of us find ourselves savoring the final stretch of summer by balancing travel, barbecues, and last-minute adventures with family and friends. At our house, we are tackling the remaining items on our summer bucket list and doing our best to squeeze them into an already full calendar. […]
WATCH: Mid-Year Market Update from Ballast
2025 has delivered no shortage of market drama—from sweeping tariffs and geopolitical tensions to AI volatility and record-breaking rebounds. In this mid-year update, the Ballast team breaks down the year’s first-half market moves, examines economic headwinds and tailwinds, and looks ahead to what may shape investor portfolios in the second half. Hear from: • Brian […]
Finding the Best Order for Funding Retirement
With a task as important as funding your retirement, determining which accounts to fund and in what order should not be taken lightly. Whether it’s a company plan, individual retirement account or taxable account, there are a lot of ways to save for retirement. So how do you decide where to put each dollar you […]
Higher for Longer: What Does it Mean for Housing and Markets?
The turn of the calendar has many people resolved to make a positive change, while a few are resigning themselves to eschew the resolutions and embrace their everyday selves. Interest rates are in the latter camp. This time last year, market expectations of rate cuts were “New Year, New Me,” with futures markets pricing in […]
A New Year Update
This past year was, as usual, eventful for investors and beneficial for equity owners. In a Presidential election year, it can often be difficult to measure the true tone of economic optimism within this country. Voters generally feel more optimistic when their party is in power and less so when their candidate is challenging an […]
Post-Election Thoughts on the Economy and Markets
The overhang of the US election is now behind us and markets have taken a collective sigh of relief, not entirely because of the results, but because the uncertainty of who will be in office is now clear. The focus now turns to how the newly elected president will handle challenges in the current macro […]
Tax Law Changes Loom at the End of 2025
We are only a few weeks from the Presidential election and, as of today, there is no clear leader across the various polls. In addition, control of the House and Senate is also not yet clear. The result of all these races will have a massive impact on how tax law is handled, particularly as […]
How Will the Fed’s Interest Rate Cuts Affect You?
Last week, the Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut since the early days of the Pandemic. The highly anticipated rate cut resulted in a 50-basis point (half of one percent) reduction in the Federal Funds Rate, an important overnight borrowing rate set by the Federal Reserve. Outside of Covid, the last time the […]
The Market’s Breadth Still Stinks but Could Relief Be on the Way?
By: Brian T. Burton, CFP®, CIMA® You’ve probably heard about stock market breadth at this point, it has become quite the talking point amongst financial pundits. But what exactly is it? The term, market breadth, can simply be defined as how many stocks are participating in an index’s rise or fall, helping to assess […]
Who Plans to Retire Early?
We often joke that our job was created because of increasing life expectancies and pensions seldom being offered. Obviously, finance and investing have become more complicated over time and there is an ever-increasing number of investment vehicles and planning strategies to help our clients choose between. We also understand there is great value placed in […]
The End of an Era – What We are Watching For in ‘24
For many years until the last, investors had been living under the same mantra of “There Is No Alternative” (TINA) to owning equities, helping prop up stock prices as yields on fixed income were too paltry to bother with. Times have changed; TINA ushered out and TARA welcomed in. Positive real rates are achievable, meaning […]