Insights

Market Commentary: Biden Signs Stimulus Bill, U.S. Surpasses 100 Million Vaccine Doses, Recovery Continues

Events are aligning to give the U.S. economy a big boost. The Biden administration approved a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that will provide immediate relief to millions of American households. Last week the U.S. surpassed 100 million vaccine doses, and expectations are the U.S. will be vaccinating all age ranges by mid-late April.

Read More

Maximizing a Retirement Plan as a Small Business Owner

Small business owners wear a lot of hats, so it’s not unusual for them to put off thoughts of retirement. We want to help them feel prepared when that day comes. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Read More

Market Commentary: Monthly Job Growth Exceeds Expectations, New Stimulus Bill Advances

The U.S. economy returned to rapid job growth last month as fewer new COVID cases and loosening restrictions increased demand for labor. Restaurants and bars accounted for more than half the net gains, as employment in this hard-hit sector increased 286,000. Despite efforts to reopen schools, government employment dropped last month.

Read More

How Does Dollar-Cost Averaging Work?

When you’re in a traffic jam on the highway, you may find yourself trying to merge into whichever lane is moving fastest at the moment, only to find yourself falling behind drivers that stayed in one lane the whole time. In the same way, you may feel the urge to time the stock market, attempting to put your money in and take it out at just the right moment—a behavior that can work against you.

Read More

Women and Wealth: Taking Charge of Your Finances

When it comes to financial planning, women are likely to face different challenges than men. For one, they earn less than men on average, and they’re more likely to work part-time jobs or take time away from their careers to raise children and care for family. Time off and lower lifetime income means women face unique financial planning challenges.

Read More

Retirement Plans for Small Business: Comparison Chart

What to Expect From Low Volatility Investing: Insight into QBI Strategies

During the past decade, ending December 2019, low volatility investing has been embraced by many investors due to above average adjusted performance. With the turn of events, the year 2020 witnessed a negative surprise for low volatility stocks. This surprise further intensified when value investing seemed to make a comeback as COVID-19 vaccines arrived.

Read More

Market Commentary: Vaccine Distribution, Stimulus Package Driving Economic Growth Estimates

The impact of government stimulus checks continues to permeate economic data. Personal income rose 10% in January, and disposable income rose 11.4%. Where did the money go? It primarily bought goods or was saved. Goods spending rose 5.8% in January, and the personal savings rate jumped to 20.5% from 13.4% the previous month (Figure 1). Limits on activity continue to pressure services spending, which rose only 0.7%.

Read More

How to Finish Strong this Tax Planning Season

Like gardening or working out, tax planning is one of those activities where you get out of it what you put into it. Plenty of us have a weight bench gathering dust in the garage that hasn’t gotten us into any better shape, or a plot in the backyard that just won’t grow anything because we never weed it. Tax planning is similar in the sense that you can put work in on the front end that you’ll reap benefits from later.

Read More

Market Commentary: Stimulus Fuels Retail Sales as Strong Housing Market Faces Hurdles

American consumers put their stimulus checks to work last month. Retail and food service sales rose 5.3% in January, after declining 1.0% in December (Figure 1). Compared to one year ago, sales are 7.4% higher. The strong data resulted from the stimulus checks and declining virus cases. Because of restrictions and risk, the biggest winners were online retailers. Home improvement stores also experienced strong demand as consumers continue to spend extra time at home.

Read More