Category: Epic Insights

Estimating Your Retirement Income Needs

Apr 10, 2024

You know how important it is to plan for your retirement, but where do you begin? One of your first steps should be to estimate how much income you’ll need to fund your retirement. That’s not as easy as it sounds, because retirement planning is not an exact science. Your specific needs depend on your goals and many other factors.

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Can Pre-Election Market Trends Survive This Attention?

Apr 8, 2024

Let’s talk seasonality. For those that are unfamiliar, seasonality is the tendency for markets to perform better during some calendar periods and worse during others in a somewhat predictable way. One of the more amazing things about 2023 and part of the first quarter of 2024 is how well U.S. equity markets have been following the historical pre-presidential election seasonal path. The idea of the presidential cycle is predicated on the belief that the executive branch’s economic pursuits, priorities, and the desire to get re-elected are a primary influence on the stock market in the two years before an election. One could even argue that this influence is more relevant today than before, given the heavy fiscal-interventionist approaches that the current and previous administrations have pursued.

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Market Update – An Excellent First Quarter for Stocks

Apr 5, 2024

Market Update
Market Update

The first quarter is in the books, and it was an excellent one for stocks. The S&P 500 index rode a resilient U.S. economy, easing inflation, rising corporate profits, and anticipation of summertime rate cuts from the Federal Reserve (Fed) to solid gains in March, the fifth straight winning month, and the best first quarter since 2019. (more…)



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.

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How to Bypass Probate

Apr 1, 2024

You may have heard about the horrors of probate, but in truth, probate has gotten an undeservedly bad reputation, especially in recent years. If you bypass probate, your estate will go to your beneficiaries without any court proceeding, and you may save a certain amount of time and expenses. However, there is usually little reason for most people to avoid probate today. States continue to revise their probate laws, making them more consumer friendly, particularly for small estates. For most modestly sized estates, the probate process now costs little. In fact, there are some good reasons to distribute your property by will. Decisions are binding and have legal finality once your will is probated. Creditors who fail to file claims against your estate within a specific amount of time — usually six months after receiving notice — are out of luck.

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Election Year Update

Mar 25, 2024

Election season is in full swing as Super Tuesday solidifies another Biden and Trump rematch this November. President Biden won all 15 states and the Iowa caucuses, while former President Trump won in 14 of 15 states, prompting Nikki Haley to end her election bid.

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Eliminate the Guesswork in an Estate Plan

Mar 22, 2024

Scales of Justice
Using a lawyer to create an estate plan is a key component of achieving financial wellness

Creating an estate plan is a key component of achieving financial wellness
Most people don’t spend too much time thinking about end-of-life planning on a daily basis. But you may have loved ones who will soon face those issues. While it’s not pleasant to think about, you may be the one who ends up having to sort out their affairs. In addition, there will come a time when you need to think about yourself and your own family. (more…)

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Managing Money as a Couple

Mar 20, 2024

wedding couple in front of money
What are the keys to prepare to grow wealthy together?

When you marry or simply share a household with someone, your financial life changes—and your approach to managing your money may change as well. The good news is that it is usually not so difficult. (more…)

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Market Update – Party Like It’s 1995

Mar 18, 2024

The year 1995 was an exciting one. Michael Jordan came back from retirement, digital video disks (DVDs) were invented, Netscape went public after introducing the world to the internet via its web browser, and Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” was the song of the year. It was also an exciting year for investors.

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Saving for College and Retirement Together

Mar 15, 2024

You want to retire comfortably when the time comes. You also want to help your child go to college. So how do you juggle the two? The truth is, saving for your retirement and your child or grandchild’s education at the same time can be a challenge. But take heart — you may be able to reach both goals if you make some smart choices now.

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More Insights

Apr 4, 2025

April showers came a month early as stocks fell in March. Tariffs were the primary cause of the market jitters, although that uncertainty became too much for markets to shrug off once economic data started to weaken.

Apr 2, 2025

A successful investor maximizes gain and minimizes loss. Though there can be no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful and all investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, here are six basic principles that may help you invest more successfully.

Mar 31, 2025

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.

Mar 28, 2025

Families are one of the great joys in life, and part of the love you show to your family is making sure that their basic needs are met. While that’s only to be expected from birth through the high school years, many households are helping their adult children well into their twenties and beyond at … Continue reading “Retirement and Adult Children”

Mar 26, 2025

Life insurance can be an excellent tool for charitable giving. Not only does life insurance allow you to make a substantial gift to charity at relatively little cost to you, but you may also benefit from tax rules that apply to gifts of life insurance.

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