The Markets Last week, major U.S. indices posted strong gains. That’s welcome news, but the drivers behind share price appreciation appear to have little to do with company fundamentals. Fourth quarter earnings season is underway. During earnings season, companies let investors know how profitable they were during the previous quarter. With 45 percent of companies […]
Weekly Market Commentary – February 10, 2020 Read More »
We have our first surprise of the year: The Coronavirus. Just recently, I wrote in my annual forecast that we will be surprised by something this year. This is likely the first of several unexpected, unpredicted events we will experience in 2020. It’s a good time to take a step back and identify what we
The Coronavirus: A Healthy Perspective Read More »
The reason withdrawals from a Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) prior to age 59½ are generally subject to a 10% tax penalty is that policymakers wanted to create a disincentive to use these savings for anything other than retirement. Yet, policymakers also recognize that life can present more pressing circumstances that require access to these
IRA Withdrawals that Escape the 10% Tax Penalty Read More »
Markets hunkered down last week. News of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China unsettled investors around the world. The respiratory infection is related to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), reported WebMD. Previous virus outbreaks have affected global economic growth. Research into pandemic preparedness suggests extreme events can reduce global
Market Commentary – January 27, 2020 Read More »
The best place to retire in the United States is in dispute. There’s no formal debate, but a review of various publications showed surveys have named different states and cities as the “best” place to retire. For instance: Iowa was #1 in a best places to retire survey cited by Yahoo! Money. Fort Myers, Florida
Where is Your Best Place to Retire? Read More »
The new trade deals are here … The United States and China signed a preliminary trade deal last week. The next day, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was approved by the Senate. The phase-one deal between the United States and China has been analyzed, applauded, disparaged, and questioned. Here is a sampling of what’s being said:
Market Commentary – January 21, 2020 Read More »
By April 19, 2019, 137 million taxpayers had filed their federal income tax returns. And they all made decisions about deductions and credits – whether they realized it. When you take the time to learn more about how it works, you may be able to put the tax code to work for you. A good place
How to Make the Tax Code Work for You Read More »
It was a nerve-wracking week. Iran fired 22 ballistic missiles at the Ain Al Asad air base near western Iraq and a second base in northern Iraq following last week’s U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian military commander. Newsweek reported the bases suffered minimal damage and there were no casualties from the attack.
Market Commentary January 13, 2020 Read More »
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is now law. With it, comes some of the biggest changes to retirement savings law in recent years. While the new rules don’t appear to amount to a massive upheaval, the SECURE Act will require a change in strategy for many Americans. For others, it
The New SECURE Act Read More »