Category: Epic Insights

Market Update: A Bear Market is Officially Here

Jun 17, 2022

Market Update
Market Update

A bear market is officially here thanks largely to stubbornly high inflation. For many of us, it has probably felt like a bear market for a while now, but the S&P 500 Index didn’t close more than 20% below its January 3 record high until Monday. Tech stocks are down a lot more—the Nasdaq Composite is more than 32% below its November 2021 record high. (more…)

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The Gift Tax

Jun 15, 2022

Not all gifts are taxable

I’d like for you to meet my friend, Hugh. He’s a retired film stuntman who, after a long career, is enjoying his retirement. Some of what he’s enjoying about his retirement is sharing part of his accumulated wealth with his family, specifically his wife and two sons. Like many Americans, Hugh likes to make sure that, when he’s sharing that wealth, he isn’t giving the I.R.S. any overtime because he knows about the gift tax. (more…)

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What Determines Car Insurance Rates?

Jun 13, 2022

Car Insurance Paper Pencin
Driver history is just one factor; there are many others.

Your car insurance premium is based on more than your driving history. The amount you pay for auto insurance is determined by a complicated algorithm that takes many factors into consideration. Your driving history is just one variable used to calculate your rate. Read on to learn more about what auto insurance carriers look at when they determine your premium. (more…)

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That First Required Minimum Distribution from Your IRA

Jun 10, 2022

stop watch alarm clock IRA
What you need to know

When you are in your seventies, Internal Revenue Service rules say that you must start making withdrawals from your traditional IRA(s). In I.R.S. terminology, these annual withdrawals are considered your Required Minimum Distribution (RMDs).1 (more…)

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Retirement Wellness

Jun 6, 2022

Father and Son sitting on dock by water
Staying healthy could save you some money.

How healthy a retirement do you think you will have? If you can stay active as a senior and curb or avoid certain habits, you could potentially reduce one type of retirement expense.

Each year, Fidelity Investments presents an analysis of retiree health care costs. In 2020, Fidelity projected that the average 65-year-old couple would spend around $285,000 on health care during retirement, including about $11,000 in the first year. Both projections took Medicare benefits into account. (more…)

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Bull Market Hangs By a Thread

Jun 3, 2022

Market Update
Market Update

The bull market that began in March of 2020 came dangerously close to an end. From March 23, 2020 through January 3, 2022, the S&P 500 Index gained 114% (excluding dividends). From that January 3 closing high through the recent low on May 19, the S&P 500 fell nearly 19%, narrowly avoiding the level at which bull markets end and bear markets begin. (more…)



Managing Risk in Your Portfolio

Jun 1, 2022

Finance Game Dice Risk
“Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1.” –Warren Buffett

Risk is a factor in any investment decision that you make. Your tolerance for risk is something that you will want to consider when you make decisions alongside your trusted financial advisor in Charlotte NC. Your risk tolerance is balanced against your time horizon, meaning the time between now and your anticipated retirement date. (more…)

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Will You Avoid These Estate Planning Mistakes?

May 27, 2022

Old man hands signing estate planning documents
Too many wealthy households commit these common blunders.

Many people plan their estates diligently, with input from legal, tax, and financial professionals. Others plan earnestly but make mistakes that can potentially affect both the transfer and destiny of family wealth. Here are some common and not-so-common errors to avoid during estate planning. (more…)

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Taking Charge of Your Financial Life

May 25, 2022

Delegating responsibilities to others may lead to problems down the road.

When you are putting together a household, it isn’t unusual to delegate responsibilities. One spouse or partner may take on the laundry, while another takes on the shopping. You might also decide which one of you vacuums and which one of you dusts. This is a perfectly fine way to divvy up household tasks and chores.

One household task it’s valuable for both partners to take part in, however, is your shared financial life. It’s important, regardless of your level of wealth or stage of life. Counting on one spouse or partner to handle all financial decisions can create a gap for the other partner. (more…)

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How to Buy I Bonds Direct From Treasury

May 20, 2022

US Capitol Building on Blue SkyWith inflation hovering near 40-year highs, some investors are looking for alternative ways to weather the storm. For many, a Series I Savings Bond is just the ticket. I Bonds give investors a rate of return plus inflation protection and are backed by the U.S. government. (more…)



More Insights

May 3, 2024

Medicare won’t cover all of your health-care costs during retirement, so you may want to buy a supplemental medical insurance policy known as Medigap. Offered by private insurance companies, Medigap policies are designed to cover costs not paid by Original Medicare (Parts A and B), helping you fill the gaps in your Medicare coverage. You’ll … Continue reading “Buying Supplemental Health Insurance: Medigap”

May 1, 2024

Incapacity can strike anyone at any time. Estate Planning plans for it By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what estate planning means to you … Continue reading “Estate Planning Intro”

Apr 29, 2024

You’re beginning to accumulate substantial wealth, but you worry about protecting it from future potential creditors. Whether your concern is for your personal assets or your business, various tools exist to keep your property safe from tax collectors, accident victims, health-care providers, credit card issuers, business creditors, and creditors of others. To insulate your property … Continue reading “Estate Planning – Protecting Your Assets”

Apr 26, 2024

It seems like we just can’t stop talking about the Federal Reserve (Fed). After an aggressive rate hiking campaign that we think ended last year, markets were expecting the Fed to start cutting interest rates as early as next month. But withan economy that continues to surprise to the upside, along with inflationary pressures that … Continue reading “Market Update – The Patient Pause”

Apr 24, 2024

A thoughtful retirement strategy may help you pursue your many retirement goals. That strategy must consider many factors, and here are just a few: your income needs, the order of your withdrawals from taxable and tax-advantaged retirement accounts, the income tax implications of those withdrawals, and sequence of return risk.

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