Insights

We’ve all seen the pictures: Kids in their pajamas sitting amongst dozens of presents stacked high around them, massive grins on their faces as they get ready to rip through the wrapping paper like the Tasmanian Devil. As parents, we think, “Wow, that is one happy kid. He’s the center of attention, and outside of that itchy sweater from grandma, he got everything on his holiday wish list! What a moment! This kid will remember this day for the rest
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As I sit down and meet with new clients or review my existing clients’ net worth, inevitably one of their largest assets is their 401k. In fact, other than business owners who may have earned most of their wealth perhaps from the sale of a business, at least 50% of most client assets are held in 401k’s or IRAs that resulted from old 401k’s rolled over into those IRAs. Why do 401k’s work so well, and how much more wealth
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With last month’s election and ongoing health and economic concerns related to COVID-19, uncertainty remains high, as it has for most of 2020. Unfortunately, this is likely to continue well into 2021 on health, financial and societal fronts. As investors, it’s never enjoyable to navigate periods like this, so we wanted to step back and reinforce our perspective on financial markets as we head into the close of 2020 (and if you are anything like me, it can’t come quickly
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For many years, we have experienced historically low interest rates, and expectations are that the Federal Reserve will maintain is near-zero rate policy through the end of 2022 or until it sees inflation rise. This means that your investments in fixed income securities, such as cash, certificates of deposit and high-quality bonds, are paying relatively little. If you reach for higher yields by turning to lower-quality bonds or move into more equities looking for greater returns, you take on more
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The House of Representatives introduced a new bipartisan bill on October 27 called Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020 (SSRA). With a majority of Americans falling behind with their savings, this bill would nudge individuals in the right direction. Michael Townsend, Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, says, “It’s not likely this will be passed into law this year, but the bill has backing from key leaders on both sides of the aisle, so it stands a very good
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The 2020 election is moving closer to conclusion, and like many investors, you may have mixed emotions about the future. If you’re looking for clarity and guidance, here are key points for refocusing that post-election stress and anxiety back to your financial plan. Avoid acting hastily based on election results. Equity markets moved higher in the week following the election. However, experts’ consistent point of view is to avoid reacting to immediate news related to the election. Avoid assuming anyone
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Clearly, 2020 has been a year unlike any other. The coronavirus pandemic and its impact on health and the economy has forced a lot of people to reassess their priorities and the financial life decisions tied to them. For some that means establishing or replenishing an emergency fund. For others it may mean a closer review of their estate plan. For many, though, the end of 2020 presents an opportunity to consider what may be done from an income tax
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Do you remember “The Dress”? From way back in 2015? Sure, hundreds of internet sensations memorable for one reason or another have gone viral over the years, but this one made a splash by any standard. Is the dress white and gold? Or is it really black and blue? Debate raged and The Dress forever earned a place in pop culture. It seems, though, that everyone at the time simply forgot about optical illusions and the tricks our brains can
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It’s probably not news to most value investors that the value premium has struggled over the past decade. What might be news is just how extreme an outlier recent value stock underperformance represents. The periodic returns for value versus growth in Exhibit 1 convey a stark contrast between recent years and the longer run of evidence, suggesting the past decade’s disappointing premium was disproportionally impacted by the last three years. Over the first seven years of the last decade (July
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