How To Measure Your Portfolio in Uncertain Times

Making sure your investments help you work towards your true life goals Too often during uncertain times, we inadvertently compare ourselves to the people around us – and that may lead us to make financial mistakes. In his book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely remarks, “We don’t have an internal value meter that tells …

Is the Early 2022 Market Déjà vu All Over Again?

A few pointers to help avoid a double-drubbing this time Stoicism amid market turmoil comes hard when a tsunami of dire investment headlines and plunging prices hits you, as we’ve seen for the first 2+ months of 2022. Your financial future rides on Wall Street. What should you do? It is Déjà vu All Over Again? Let’s look at recent …

Myths and Facts About Social Security

Myth: Social Security will provide most of the income you need in retirement. Fact: It’s likely that Social Security will provide a smaller portion of retirement income than you expect. There’s no doubt about it — Social Security is an important source of retirement income for most Americans. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), nearly nine out of ten …

There’s Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2021

Even though tax filing season is well under way, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2021. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2021 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on or before December 31, 2021). For most taxpayers, the contribution deadline for 2021 …

How to Spring Clean Your Finances with a Financial Review

Spring cleaning presents a great opportunity to clear out any items you no longer need—and the same goes for your finances. Checking in with your finances during tax season may be particularly beneficial, as it allows you to complete last year’s taxes while making any changes you need to potentially improve next year’s tax situation. Below, we discuss what’s included …

Luck of the Investor

As Samuel Goldwyn once said, “The harder I work…the luckier I get!” 1 But when it comes to investing, luck may play a huge role in outcomes—no matter how hard you work.2 Below, we discuss some ways that luck may impact your investing, as well as some steps you may wish to take to try to make your own good luck this …

How Does an Interest Rate Hike Impact Investors?

The Federal Reserve plans to unwind its bond borrowing since inflation has hit the highest level since 1980. While interest rates will stay near zero, for now, the Fed will start raising interest rates as early as March 2022. With a strong labor market and December 2021’s inflation rate near 7%, the target range for the Federal Funds Rate will …

What to Expect on Your 2021 Tax Return

The federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact individual income tax returns, from the suspension of federal student loan interest to expanded child tax credits. For many taxpayers, this may mean your 2021 return may look a bit different from last year’s tax return. For some, this may mean a smaller refund or a higher tax rate. …