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 […]
Beware of Dots
The Federal Reserve Dot Plot has a shaky ten-year history The Dot Plot shows the Fed’s expectations of future interest rates Since its inception in 2012 it has not proved very predictive Rates have been a key driver of equity pricing over the last two years My eighth-grade class celebrated our completion of middle […]
Is Bad News in the Economy Actually Good News for Markets?
The notion of a slowing economy equating to rising stock prices qualifies as counterintuitive, but that is exactly what we’ve seen over the last few months. Typically, positive stock market performance is aligned with strong economic growth, as seen in the chart below. This makes sense as GDP growth means individual companies are producing more, […]
The Markets & Economy – A Diverging Narrative
With the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both entering “Correction Territory,” the media has once again focused its attention on markets and everyone’s best prediction on when or if a looming recession may be coming. For the majority scratching their heads right now, a “correction” is simply defined as an index decline of 10% or more […]
Is it Time to Cash in I-Bonds?
The golden deal of I Bonds has subsided. Watch Cameron here: https://youtube.com/shorts/HbPnqumYc9Q?feature=share As I make my way about town this week and enjoy the wonderful palette displayed by sycamores, maples, poplars, and oaks in Lexington, I’m reminded of Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which was originally published in October 1923 in the […]
Why Are Kids So Expensive These Days?
We’re often invited to speak to student groups about financial planning and I like to end with a few pieces of advice that apply to almost everyone, including a list of the biggest financial mistakes someone can make. Number one on that list is having children, which always solicits a few chuckles when we speak […]
Putting a Value on Your Social Security Benefits
Key Takeaways: As a child, getting to check the mailbox each day was likely an experience filled with joy. You were likely hopeful that just one piece of mail would have your name on it. Fast forward a few years, and that excitement has been replaced by reluctance. We all know what lies waiting. With […]
How Much to Save for College
Will your child wow you with a 4.0 GPA in high school or do they believe C’s get degrees? Are their sights set on private colleges in expensive cities or the public university up the road? Do they know their path, or will they meander through three majors over six years? If you know the […]
