Archive for May 2018

The New Tax Law: Things to Consider Who will be affected by the new tax legislation that went into effect Jan. 1? That is a question many are asking.   While “everyone” is likely to see some changes, here’s an idea of how many people fell into each income group. In 2015:1   About 1.4…

Balancing Investor Euphoria With Market Reality Many social media users share nearly all aspects of their lives, from photos of cute kids and pets to their political views. And now, we even are seeing posts from exuberant investors bragging about their investment returns. For example, consider this social media post:1   “I strived to become…

The Future of Medicare and Social Security   There is little doubt that Medicare and Social Security are important programs that help older Americans in retirement, particularly now that so many are living beyond previous life expectancy rates. In fact, past models for savings rates may be failing many older Americans, who represent the only…

ISSUE THEME: Medicare Issue     Standard Article Enrolling in Medicare   Unlike Social Security, the age for Medicare eligibility is the same for everyone: 65 years old, no matter what year you were born. If you have already filed for Social Security benefits by age 65, you will be automatically enrolled for Medicare. If…

A Look at How America Ranks   In his first year in office, President Trump has promoted his “America first” philosophy. This new focus, with its trade protectionism and tough stance on immigration, has somewhat changed the U.S. narrative on a world scale.1   Considering this new emphasis on America first, perhaps it’s worth looking…

Investing in Europe It’s often said that when one asset class falters, others are likely rising. To some extent, this may be occurring with U.S. equities. The stock market correction that started in February amid fears of rising inflation has continued through March with the threat of a global trade war.1   According to Bank…

Investment Themes for This Year In the investment community, all eyes are on inflation this year. Economic analysts at Merrill Lynch anticipate further tightening in the labor market, to the tune of 3.9 percent unemployment by the end of 2018. Along with the tightened labor situation, they also expect personal consumption expenditure (PCE) inflation rising…