Industry Updates
Don’t Avoid Family Conversations About Money
One of the first discussions a young couple may have when starting a family is about affordability. How will they pay for child care? Will one spouse quit their job to stay home and raise the child? Here are a couple of interesting facts that may enter that equation:1 The average income for first-time mothers…
Read MoreStock Market Roundup: What to Watch
Between 1926 and 2018, the S&P 500 experienced double-digit annual losses only 11 times. Not only did the market recover, but the index has never permanently lost ground in any rolling 15-year period during that timeframe.1 While past performance is no guarantee of future results, that bit of history is good for stock investors to…
Read MoreBoosting Financial Literacy is a Top Priority
Financial literacy has always been a challenge. However, now that much of the burden of retirement income has shifted to employees instead of employers, it is all the more important that we begin teaching the principles of saving and investing to people as early as possible.1 In a recent survey, 44 percent of Americans said…
Read MoreWhy Buy an Annuity When the Market is Up?
Perhaps you are familiar with an annuity. The basic premise is that you convert a lump sum of money into a stream of income. Unlike an investment, once you commit a fixed amount of money to the insurance company, that company is contractually obligated to provide you a minimum level of income with the option…
Read MoreTech Trends
There are different formulas for launching highly successful companies. First, create a product that solves a problem that no one knew they had — for instance, how online search engines replaced encyclopedias. Then, there are ideas that help solve problems that plague millions of people. Back pain, for example. Not only do approximately eight in…
Read MoreRetirement: Savings and Financial Health
As many baby boomers near retirement, some new facts are coming into focus. According to the latest Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on retirement security, 29 percent of households aged 55 and older have no savings set aside for retirement and no pension. If that doesn’t change, they’ll be relying solely on Social Security during…
Read MoreWe Had a Strong Q1 2019; What’s the Outlook for the Rest of the Year?
The first quarter of 2019 proved to be a strong one. The S&P 500 posted a 13.1% gain (the highest quarterly gain since 2009), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 11.15% and the Nasdaq increased by 16.5%. Bond investors in both developed and emerging markets saw three consecutive months of positive returns. Oil prices…
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence: Innovation for Today’s World
Artificial Intelligence: Innovation for Today’s World Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way businesses build products and even provide customer service. We now have automated virtual assistants and “chatbots” answering customer service calls.1 We even have self-driving cars being tested for pizza delivery.2 These quantum leaps in technological advances present both opportunities and challenges.…
Read MorePreventing Elderly Financial Abuse
A recent study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concluded that many retirees who do not suffer from any cognitive impairment can still manage their money through their 70s and 80s.1 The study reports that financial capacity relies on accumulated knowledge and that knowledge stays mostly intact as we age. However, the study…
Read MoreTax-Deferred or Tax-Exempt? Potential Benefits to Having Both
Over the years, you may have heard it’s good to have different “kinds” of money as you head into retirement. A financial advisor may recommend a combination of tax-deferred and tax-exempt financial products, diversifying your money to help take advantage of the tax benefits both types of products provide. What many people don’t understand, however,…
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