Are You Prepared for an Estate Tax Sunset?
Estate The federal estate tax threshold rose to $24.12 million in 2022 for married couples and $12.06 million for individuals, as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Like several TCJA provisions, the higher estate tax limit is due to sunset in 2025. Barring congressional action, the exemption amount will return to about […]
The Business Cycle
Investments What has upswings and downturns, troughs, peaks, and plateaus? Though such terms could easily describe a roller coaster ride, they are also commonly used to describe the business cycle. The business cycle – also known as the economic cycle – refers to fluctuations in economic activity over several months or years. Tracking the cycle […]
Estate Management Checklist
Do you have a will? A will enables you to specify who you want to inherit your property and other assets. A will also enables you to name a guardian for your minor children. Do you have healthcare documents in place? Healthcare documents spell out your wishes for health care if you become unable to […]
9 Facts About Social Security
Retirement Read Time: 3 min Social Security’s been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? Here are nine things that might surprise you. The Social Security trust fund is huge. It was $2.8 trillion at […]
Helpful Retirement Strategies for Women
Preparing for retirement can look a little different for women than it does for men. Although stereotypes are changing, women are still more likely to serve as caretakers than men are, meaning they may accumulate less income and benefits due to their time absent from the workforce. Research shows that 31% of women are currently […]
Building a Solid Financial Foundation
When you read about money matters, you may see the phrase, “getting your financial house in order.” What exactly does that mean? To some, when your financial “house is in order,” it means it is built on a solid foundation. It means that you have the “pillars” in place that are designed to support your […]
The Cycle of Investing
Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls. Watch the video below. Transcript: Investing should be easy. Just buy low and sell high but most of us have trouble following that. Why is it so hard? It has to do with fear, greed, and something called the investment psychology cycle. As the […]
Eight Mistakes That Can Upend Your Retirement
Pursuing your retirement dreams is challenging enough without making some common, and very avoidable, mistakes. Here are eight big mistakes to steer clear of, if possible. 1. The return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. […]
Pullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets
When the market drops, some investors lose perspective that downtrends and uptrends are part of the investing cycle. When stock prices break lower, it’s a good time to review common terms that are used to describe the market’s downward momentum. Pullbacks. A pullback represents the mildest form of a selloff in the markets. You might […]
Retirement Questions That Have Nothing to Do With Money
Preparing for retirement is not entirely financial. Your degree of happiness in your “second act” may depend on some factors that don’t come with an obvious price tag. Here are some non-monetary factors to consider as you prepare for your retirement. What will you do with your time? Too many people retire without any idea […]