Conducting a Home Inventory
Apr 3, 2024
A home inventory is a complete and detailed written list of all your personal property that’s located in your home and stored in other structures like garages and toolsheds. It should include your possessions as well as those of family members and others living in your home. You should prepare an inventory whenever you move into a new home. To keep track of new additions and discarded items, be sure to update it every year.Tags: Current Events, Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Financial Planning, Personal Finance
A Decision Not Made is Still a Decision
Mar 27, 2024
Investment inaction is played out in many ways, often silently, invisibly, and with potential consequence to an individual’s future financial security, especially when it comes to retirement planning.
Let’s review some of the forms this takes. (more…)
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, charlotte NC, Current Events, Investing, Personal Finance
What Are Personal Tax Credits?
Feb 28, 2024
Have you ever thought that you’re paying too much income tax? You may be, if you’re not claiming all of the tax credits for which you are eligible when you file your federal tax return. These credits may significantly reduce your tax liability.
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Current Events, Family Wealth, financial advisor charlotte nc, tax guide, Tax Planning, taxes
How Could the Markets Surprise Us in 2024?
Feb 12, 2024
Byron Wien recently passed away. He was a true Wall Street icon. I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Wien once when I was seated behind him at an investment conference during the depths of the Great Financial Crisis (GFC). Mr. Wien was probably best known for his annual top ten list of surprises for the year ahead. He defined a surprise on his list as something that the average investor would only assign about a one-in-three chance of occurring, but that he thought was closer to 50/50. I always thought this was a useful exercise. Markets have a way of habitually surprising us and proving the conventional thinking wrong, so having an idea of where the potential forks in the road may come just makes us better prepared and informed as investors. (more…)
Tags: Current Events
Market Update – Solid Start to 2024
Feb 9, 2024
Stocks are off to a solid start in 2024. January gains are particularly enjoyable because of the old adage from the Stock Trader’s Almanac, “As goes January, so goes the year.” Nearly 75 years of historical data shows that when the S&P 500 has risen in January, the average gain for the remainder of the year has been about 12%. This January, the S&P 500 was up 1.6%. (more…)
Tags: Current Events
Market Update – As Goes January, So Goes the Year
Feb 2, 2024
After a relatively slow start, the S&P 500 rallied during the back half of January and closed out the month with a gain of 1.6%. Buying pressure was relatively narrow, as declining shares on the index modestly outpaced advancers. Similar to 2023, a few mega-caps did most of the heavy lifting. Shares of NVIDIA (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta (META) contributed 80% of the S&P 500’s total return during the month.
Tags: Current Events, Personal Finance
Important Lessons from 2023
Jan 3, 2024
Stocks defied the skeptics in a very unpredictable 2023. The Dow Jones finished at an all-time record high on December 28, and the S&P 500 came within a whisker of a fresh all-time high after the index rallied more than 20% for the year. (more…)
Tags: Current Events
Market Update – Dow Rallies to Record Highs
Dec 18, 2023
Key Takeaways
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) has gone from correction to record highs in only 32 trading days. Broadening participation predicated on falling interest rates and signs of a soft-landing scenario have underpinned the recovery.
- What happens after a record high? Over the last 100 years, and filtering for record highs occurring at least three months apart, upside momentum has historically continued. The INDU has generated an average 12-month forward return of 11.1% after posting a new record high, with 71% of occurrences producing positive results.
- And with the INDU already at record highs, all eyes are now on the Dow Jones Transportation Average (TRAN) to confirm the breakout, per Dow Theory.
- LPL Research views the INDU’s recent record-high rally as another piece of evidence supporting the health and sustainability of the current bull market.
It only took 489 trading days, but the INDU climbed back into record-high territory this week. Broadening participation in the equity market recovery has lifted the index 15% above its recent October low and above the prior January 4, 2022 record high of 36,800. (more…)
Tags: Current Events
Is the Santa Claus Rally Still Coming to Town?
Dec 1, 2023
November lived up to its reputation as a strong month for stock market seasonality with the November “Turkey Rally” delivering outsized returns for stocks. Now as we look ahead to December, investors are asking the question: Is the Santa Claus Rally still coming to town? (more…)
Tags: Current Events
Is Gold a Good Investment?
Nov 29, 2023
Key Takeaways:
- Gold is starting to shine again after confirming support off its rising 200-day moving average last week. A meaningful pullback in interest rates and the dollar underpinned the recovery in the yellow metal.
- Momentum indicators point to a bullish trend change, while speculator long positions in gold continue to outpace shorts.
- Central bank demand for gold is building, evidenced by record buying during the first nine months of the year.
- Seasonal tailwinds return next month as gold enters its best two-month seasonal period.
- However, resistance near $2,070 has been problematic for gold over the last several years, so while a retest of this level may be in the cards, a confirmed breakout will be required to keep gold’s upside momentum moving forward.
Tags: Current Events
More Insights
Apr 22, 2024
Losing a spouse is a stressful transition. And the added pressure of having to settle the estate and organize finances can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make dealing with these matters less difficult.
Apr 19, 2024
Ever hear of critical illness insurance? This isn’t standard-issue disability insurance, but a cousin of sorts. With people living longer, it is a risk management option entering more people’s lives.
Apr 17, 2024
Following Iran’s missile and drone strikes on Israel over the weekend and the apparent escalation likely in any Israeli response, stocks fell sharply during Monday’s trading session. We examine the latest developments in the Middle East conflict, how stocks have reacted historically to geopolitical events, and the possible impact on markets moving forward.
Apr 15, 2024
Did you buy U.S. Savings Bonds decades ago? Or did your parents or grandparents purchase them for you? If they’re collecting dust in a drawer, you may want to take a look at them to see if any of your bonds have matured. If your bonds have matured, that means they are no longer earning … Continue reading “How US Savings Bonds Work”
Apr 12, 2024
In baseball, three strikes and you’re out. With inflation, a third straight month of hotter-than-expected consumer inflation data nearly ruled out probabilities for a June rate cut yesterday (now less than a 25% chance, according to fed funds futures). The core Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in March, or 3.8% when compared on a … Continue reading “Market Update – Assessing the Prospect for a Pullback”
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