To Inform: How many of us routinely consider the question each year “how much am I eligible to contribute to my IRA or Roth IRA?” Many of us do, as we want to save as much as we can for our retirement goals while accomplishing them as tax-efficiently as possible. How many of us ask […]

To Inform: For fun, let’s start this Wealthnotes with a multiple-choice question. Which of these is correct? A.  The S&P 500 was down – 3.1% for the 2020 year to date period ending June 30 B.  The S&P 500 was down – 10.8% for the 2020 year to date period ending June 30 C.  Both […]

To Inform:  Growing up, one of the most joyous weeks of the year was the week of the county fair. I raised hogs as 4-H projects and the fair was a culmination of a few months of hard (and pungent) work. I’ll always have a fondness for hogs and not just because they are the […]

To Inform:  There is certainly not a shortage of topics to talk about as it pertains the economy and markets right now. Rising COVID cases in certain states, renewed lockdowns, the potential end of the recession which started in February (a bunch of June economic data was V-shaped and showed expansion), or the recent leadership […]

To Inform:  Death and taxes; we know the saying. In spite of the certainty, all of us fail to give our estate plan the attention it deserves. It’s easy to avoid and none of us enjoys thinking about our…well, you know. On top of that, you’ve already signed your estate documents so you’re done, right? […]

To Inform: There is a lot going on so this will be a bit longer WealthNotes, but let’s break down these three questions. Are We Seeing a 2nd Wave of the Virus? The headline in today’s Wall Street Journal is clear – cases of COVID-19 are reaccelerating across various areas of the U.S. Part of […]

To Inform:  “There is no one right portfolio, but there is one that is right for you.” This quote from author Larry Swedroe is worth remembering, especially when markets are experiencing bouts of volatility. Our holistic approach of weaving your portfolio, plan, and purpose together as a cohesive roadmap to financial security acknowledges this principle. […]

To Inform:  This week, COVID-19 is back in the news as certain states have seen a rise in positive cases even as the overall U.S. positive testing rate declines. The chart below provides some context. Even though the percentage of COVID-19 tests with a positive result continues to fall across the U.S., states including Arizona, […]

To Inform: We can hardly believe it ourselves, but many broad market indexes are currently within spitting distance of breakeven for the year, with individual sectors such as health care and technology now reflecting positive returns for calendar year 2020. As markets move higher (and more expensive), where are the best potential future opportunities? In […]

To Inform:  Recent conversations with clients have had a common theme – “how can the stock market be performing so well recently when the economic data is so bad?” We believe the answer lies in the idea that markets tend to respond more to “better or worse” than they do to “good or bad.” Even […]