As we enter the final month of the year, there are some money moves you can make to maximize your gains and save on taxes. Here are some good strategies to practice towards the end of every year. Realize those capital gains and losses. If this was a high-income year for you and you’ve decided to get out of some bad investments, now is a good time so that you can harvest those losses from the underperforming investment to offset…
Many retirees are not adequately prepared to handle retirement. They go straight from 40-hour work weeks to not knowing what to do. After a month or two of working on delayed house projects, they settle into a Netflix-induced coma. The lack of physical and mental stimulation can cause cognitive and physical impairment, which leads to further mental and health declines. In order to avoid these common pitfalls in retirement, you will need a game plan. This will be one of…
A good handyman has many tools on his belt and even more in his truck. He can complete various jobs with these tools, but different tools have different functions. For some jobs, he will need a screwdriver; other times, he’ll need a hammer, saw, paintbrush, or lawnmower. Your portfolio is the same way. You will have many assets in your investment toolbelt such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CD’s, government bonds, and ETFs. Within these you will also want to…
2020 has been a train wreck so far to say the least. Added to all the chaos of 2020, this year is also an election year, which could have a large impact on your finances. The stock market tends to behave a certain way in election years. Depending on who gets elected, there could be huge tax implications on your income and your investments. Added to all of this is the black swan event of the coronavirus and unemployment, Congressional…
Anyone can create the lifestyle and legacy they want—even you, especially you! The good news is that if you want to experience prosperity, you don’t have to time the markets perfectly, make a six-figure income, or inherit a fortune from your deceased uncle. The bad news is that it’ll take work and you’ll have to do the exceptionally boring, yet all-important task to get you there: budgeting. I know it’s not fun or cool to talk about, but we must…
In the third week of March, 2020, the stock market experienced its worst day since 1987. With fears of the global pandemic worsening, the S&P 500 Index was down 34% by March 23rd.[1] Investors lost a lot of money. While much of that has been recovered, the 2020 market drop leaves valuable lessons for investors about the future of their money. In the months after March 2020, I’ve fielded dozens of phone calls, emails, and texts from investors who were…
Much has changed in the world of investments since the coronavirus pandemic. The volatility in the stock market this February and March rattled investors before making a rocky recovery April-July. Added to the coronavirus fears are real economic issues of companies slowing down and small businesses shuttering their doors or finding it difficult to find work. While this has been a volatile time in the markets and no one can predict when things will get back to normal, there are…
In this video our president Maynard Keller, Jr., CFP® breaks down the Federal stimulus package and shares how you can survive this crisis financially.…
These are very interesting times we are living in, to say the least. The Coronavirus pandemic has upended daily life and economic activity all around the world. It is hard to believe that the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at an all-time high of 29,551 points on Feb. 12, 2020, and now it has sunk to trading below 20,000 points. This is a very fluid situation with COVID-19 beginning to make its impact on the US, as it already has…
The stock market has taken a beating this week with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) experiencing at least two quadruple digit loss trading days and a possible third today. The DJIA peaked earlier this month at 29,551 points, but is currently trading in the 24,000’s territory. While we are noticing and tracking these market moves, we are not yet concerned. We are still optimistic about investing in the 2020 stock market. Here’s why: The stock market does not behave…
