Should You Care What the Stock Market Does Each Day?
Feb 26, 2025
Investors are people, and people are often impatient. No one likes to wait in line or wait longer than they have to for something, especially today when so much is just a click or two away. (more…)
Tags: financial advisor, Financial Help, Investing, Investment Planning, Investment Portfolio, Personal Finance
Will History Rhyme?” Fixed Income Themes During the First Trump Administration
Feb 12, 2025
Early in the second Trump administration, tariff threats have revived market volatility. Recent Treasury yield curve movements reflect this uncertainty, with markets reacting to both threatened and postponed tariffs against key trading partners. Short-term yields rose as markets pushed back expectations for Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts, while long-term yields declined on economic slowdown concerns and potential trade tensions. These yield curve dynamics mirror patterns seen during the first Trump presidency (more…)
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Current Events, Investing, Investment Portfolio
Market Update – AI Advances and Tariff Tactics
Feb 7, 2025
The new month brings two major market-moving stories to digest. First is the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) by Chinese startup DeepSeek. It has caused some investors to question America’s lead in the AI race and American Exceptionalism more broadly. To answer that question, it’s important to look at this idea holistically. U.S. advantages in research and development spending, capital markets depth, the dollar’s privilege as the global reserve currency, and more suggest U.S. exceptionalism will remain intact. (more…)
Tags: Current Events, Investing, Personal Finance
Market Update – DeepSeek What Happened and What are Implications?
Feb 3, 2025
What Is DeepSeek?
The buzz around Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek began to stir over the weekend, prompting a “sell now ask questions later” attitude across tech shares on Monday. AI has been a major investment theme, but this time the headlines didn’t feature new chips or bold development plans. The AI chatbot utilized publicly available open-source models and, according to DeepSeek, performed on par or slightly surpassed the performance of its much larger U.S. rivals, at a fraction of the cost. The company stated costs to train the model – which skeptics were quick to point out cannot be verified and is likely understated – came in at around $6 million, far less than the hundreds of millions in training costs reported by U.S. hyperscalers.
Tags: Current Events, financial advisor, Investing
Making Investment Choices
Jan 29, 2025
Information vs. instinct. When it comes to investment choices, many people believe they have a “knack” for choosing good investments. But what exactly is that “knack” based on? The fact is, the choices we make with our assets can be strongly influenced by factors, many of them emotional, that we may not even be aware of. (more…)
Tags: Investing, Investment Planning, Investment Portfolio, Personal Finance
Market Update – The Correlation Comparison: Years That Resemble 2024
Jan 17, 2025
Outsized returns, record highs on nearly a weekly cadence, and low volatility were three major themes of price action in 2024. The S&P 500 posted a total of 57 record highs, marking the fifth-highest number of new highs in a calendar year since 1950. Furthermore, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) averaged only 15.5 on a daily closing basis in 2024, well below its historical average close of 19.5 and ranking as the 12th lowest average annual VIX since 1990.
Tags: Current Events, Investing, Investment Planning
A Decision Not Made is Still a Decision
Jan 15, 2025
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
Tax Efficiency in Retirement
Jan 13, 2025
Will you pay higher taxes in retirement? Do you have a 401(k) or a traditional IRA? If so, you will receive income from both after age 73. However, if you have saved and invested much of your life, you may also end up retiring at a higher marginal tax rate than your current one. Tax efficiency in retirement is paramount and many people forget it. In fact, the income alone resulting from a Required Minimum Distribution could push you into a higher tax bracket. (more…)
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Investing, retirement, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, taxes
What is the 4% Rule for Withdrawals in Retirement?
Jan 8, 2025
Saving for retirement is not easy, but using your retirement savings wisely can be just as challenging. How much of your savings can you withdraw each year? Withdraw too much and you run the risk of running out of money. Withdraw too little and you may miss out on a more comfortable retirement lifestyle.
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Retirement Tax Savings, Wealth Building
Six Keys to Investing
Oct 30, 2024
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.Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Family Wealth, Investing, Investment Planning, Investment Portfolio, Investments
More Insights
Mar 17, 2025
Income tax basis can be an important factor in deciding whether to make gifts during your lifetime or transfer property at your death. This is because the income tax basis for the person receiving the property depends on whether the transfer is by gift or at death. This, in turn, affects the amount of taxable … Continue reading “Basis: Carryover or Stepped-Up Cost Basis?”
Mar 14, 2025
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.
Mar 12, 2025
Market volatility has arrived in force. The slowdown in the economy and more policy-driven volatility was the consensus expectation coming into 2025. What was not expected, however, was how much the Trump administration would lean into tariffs. During President Trump’s first term, in most instances, investors observed the administration delaying, reducing, or even removing tariffs … Continue reading “Market Update – Navigating Volatility”
Mar 10, 2025
When you lose a spouse, partner, or parent, the grief can be overwhelming. In the midst of that grief, life goes on. There are arrangements to be made, things to be taken care of – and in recognition of this reality, here is a checklist that you may find useful at such a time. If … Continue reading “Estate Planning Checklist for When a Spouse or Parent Passes”
Mar 7, 2025
When you think of Social Security, you probably think of retirement. However, Social Security can also provide much-needed income to your family members when you die, making their financial lives easier. Your family members may be eligible to receive survivor benefits if you worked, paid Social Security taxes, and earned enough work credits. The number … Continue reading “Social Security Survivor Benefits”
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