Category: Epic Insights

Should You Choose a Fixed or Variable?

Feb 3, 2020

Buying a home is the single largest financial commitment most people ever make. And sorting through mortgages involves a lot of critical choices. One of these is choosing between a fixed- or variable-interest-rate mortgage. (more…)

Tags: Financial Planning, Home Mortgages, Interest Rates, Mortgage, Personal Finance

Socially Responsible Investing and You

Jan 31, 2020

SRI (Socially Responsible Investing), Impact Investing, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Investing belong to a growing category of investment choices that use traditional investing practices to responsibly impact society.

In the past, these investment strategies were viewed as too restrictive for most investors. But over time, improved evaluative data and competitive returns have pushed these strategies into the mainstream. Even though SRI, ESG investing, and impact investing share many similarities, they differ in some fundamental ways. Read on to learn more.¹ (more…)

Tags: Impact Investing, Investing, Investment Portfolio, Legacy

Ways to Fund Special Needs Trusts

Jan 27, 2020

If you have a child with special needs, special needs trusts may be a financial priority. There are many crucial goods and services that Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income might not pay for. It may be used to address those financial challenges. Most importantly, a special needs trust may help provide for your disabled child in case you’re no longer able to care for them.

In planning for one, one of the most pressing questions is: when it comes to funding the trust, what are the options?

(more…)

Tags: Estate Planning, Health Care Needs, Legacy

Stocks Gain Tremendously Since 2009

Jan 24, 2020

Where were you on March 9, 2009? Do you remember the headwinds hitting Wall Street stocks then? When the closing bell rang at the New York Stock Exchange that Monday afternoon, it marked the end of another down day for stocks. Just hours earlier, the Wall Street Journal had asked: “How Low Can Stocks Go?”¹

The Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index answered that question by sinking to 676.53, even with mergers and acquisitions making headlines. The index was under 700 for the first time since 1996. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled to a closing low of 6,547.05.²

To quote Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It was the bottom of the bear market – and it was also the best time, in a generation, to buy stocks.² (more…)

Tags: financial advisor, Investment Planning, Investment Portfolio, Investments, retirement

The Secure Act

Jan 17, 2020

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is now law. With it, comes some of the biggest changes to retirement savings law in recent years. While the new rules don’t appear to amount to a massive upheaval, the SECURE Act will require a change in strategy for many Americans. For others, it may reveal new opportunities. (more…)

Tags: Employee Benefit Planning, Investment Planning, retirement, Retirement Planning, Retirement Tax Savings, Secure Act

Buy Sell Agreements for Businesses

Jan 15, 2020

For most, creating an estate strategy is important to make sure your loved ones are taken care of after you’re gone. But it may be just as important to have an estate strategy for your business. Whether you’re a sole proprietor who will be passing on your business to your heirs or your business partners will take over for you, having a buy-sell agreement in place might ensure that your business legacy continues to live on. (more…)

2019 IRA Deadlines Are Approaching

Jan 13, 2020

Financially, many of us associate April with taxes – but we should also associate April with important IRA deadlines.

April 1, 2020 is the deadline to take your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from certain individual retirement accounts.

April 15, 2020 is the deadline for making annual contributions to a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and certain other retirement accounts.¹ (more…)

Earnings for All Seasons

Jan 6, 2020

While nature offers four seasons, Wall Street offers only one – four times a year. It’s called “earnings season,” and it can move the markets. So, what is earnings season, and why is it important?

Earnings season is the month of the year that follows each calendar quarter-end month (January, April, July, and October). It is the time during which many public companies release quarterly earnings reports. Some public companies report earnings at other times during the year, but many are on the calendar year that ends December 31. (more…)

Tags: financial advisor charlotte nc, Financial Help, Investing

Wise Decisions with Retirement in Mind

Jan 1, 2020

Some retirees succeed at realizing the life they want; others don’t.Fate aside, it isn’t merely a matter ofstock market performance or investment selection that makes the difference. There are certain dos and don’ts – some less apparent than others – that tend to encourage retirement happiness and comfort. (more…)

Tags: retirement, Retirement Planning

401(k) Loan Repayment

Dec 30, 2019

The conventional wisdom about taking a loan from your 401(k) plan is often boiled down to: not unless absolutely necessary. That said, it isn’t always avoidable for everyone or in every situation. In a true emergency, if you had no alternative, the rules do allow for a loan, but they also require a fast repayment if your employment were to end. Recent changes have changed that deadline, offering some flexibility to those taking the loan. (Distributions from 401(k) plans and most other employer-sponsored retirement plans are taxed as ordinary income, and if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. Generally, once you reach age 70½, you must begin taking required minimum distributions.) (more…)

Tags: 401K, Retirement Planning