There was a lot to be thankful for last week. Stock markets around the world may have ripened to full-slip sweetness this year. Emerging markets have delivered the most attractive returns year-to-date. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index was up 34 percent year-to-date, last week. The United States and Europe have marched higher, too. The Standard […]
Are you considering donating your retirement assets to a charity? Naming a non-profit organization as an IRA beneficiary may be something you’ve yet to consider, but doing so can benefit both you and your charity, as neither of you will pay income tax on the account. However, using a retirement account for charitable gifting can […]
At our recent Fall Seminar, we shared information with you regarding cyber security and protecting yourself against cyber threats. Here are links to the handouts we shared at that event that you can download for reference. --Ransomware Tips --Secure Your Password --Red Flags--Phishing! --Tips for Using WiFi Safely If you have any questions, please call […]
Are investors more like tigers or African wild dogs? It appears investors – retail and institutional – have become rather like predators. They patiently stalk shares, waiting for a dip, and then they strike – buying stocks when prices fall. Consider last week. Barron’s described it like this: “The Dow traded down nearly 80 points […]
Maximizing Your Social Security Benefits Retirement and Social Security are inextricably linked. Not only did Social Security help establish the official U.S. retirement age at 65, it also provides a significant portion of today’s retirees’ incomes. Some of the earliest company pension programs began paying benefits at age 65.1 The economics made sense since life […]
Selling it overseas. Most of the companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) Index have reported third quarter earnings per share (EPS), which is the profit earned per share of stock outstanding during the period. Many have done quite well. With more than 90 percent of companies reporting, the total EPS growth rate […]
“Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’s statement is engraved on the front of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C. Some people agree with the sentiment. Others believe it to be a logical fallacy. It’s likely the tax plan proposed by House Republicans last […]
The last full week of October was a box full of surprises. First, U.S. economic growth exceeded expectations. The devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria was widely expected to stifle U.S. quarterly growth, according to NPR. The Atlanta Federal Reserve predicted 2.5 percent gross domestic product (GDP)* growth for third quarter, down from […]
When you created your Roth IRA account, you might have been under the impression that the money you take out of it will always be tax free. Unfortunately, there are exceptions to this rule that could leave you surprised and frustrated once you receive your tax bill. Roth IRA distributions can consist of contributions, converted […]