Taxation of Investments
Sep 23, 2024
It’s nice to own stocks, bonds, and other investments. Nice, that is, until it’s time to fill out your federal income tax return. At that point, you may be left scratching your head. Just how do you report your investments and how are they taxed? With Q4 right around the corner, there may be some capital gains on the horizon. It’s a good idea to know what’s what.Tags: financial advisor charlotte nc, Investing, Personal Finance, Tax Planning, taxes
The Behavior Gap and Your Financial Health
Sep 9, 2024
“It turns out my job was not to find great investments but to help create great investors,” writes Carl Richards, author of “The Behavior Gap.” From increasing our budget mindfulness to taking a steadier approach to investing, Richards has drawn attention to how our unexamined behaviors and emotions can be to our detriment when it comes to living a happy and financially sound life. In many cases, we make poor financial decisions when experiencing panic or anxiety due to personal or widespread events. 1 (more…)
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Current Events, financial advisor charlotte nc, Financial Planning, Investing, Investment Portfolio
Market Update – A Recovery or Relief Rally in Stocks?
Sep 6, 2024
September is living up to its reputation as a historically bad month for stocks. The S&P 500 fell 2.3% in the first two trading days, with a highly anticipated August employment report on deck tomorrow morning. The sudden change in momentum and jump in volatility has left many investors questioning the sustainability of the recovery from the August lows and if the rebound was simply a relief rally off oversold levels.
Tags: Current Events, Investing
Market Update – What Does a Rate Cut Mean for Stocks?
Aug 30, 2024
With NVIDIA (NVDA) earnings now out of the way, investor focus turns to the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) report and next week’s busy economic calendar, including a highly anticipated August employment report and the Institute for Supply Management Purchasing Managers’ Index manufacturing and services survey data. These data points — especially the September 6 payrolls report — will help write the narrative for the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next meeting on September 18.
Tags: Current Events, financial advisor charlotte nc, Investing, Personal Finance
Market Update – Perspectives on Market Volatility
Aug 7, 2024
Stocks must have gotten the memo that August tends to be weak historically. July, the eighth positive month in the past nine, was quickly forgotten as the beginning of August greeted us with a selloff. The primary catalyst was August 2’s weaker-than-expected employment report, which ignited concern that the U.S. economy could tip into recession. Several additional factors exacerbated the selling pressure: (more…)
Tags: charlotte NC, Current Events, Investing, Investment Planning
Market Update – Assessing the Technical Damange
Jul 26, 2024
Key Takeaways
- Volatility came back with a vengeance this week as selling pressure in the mega cap space dragged down the broader market. Counterbalancing weakness in these heavyweight names poses a challenge for the rest of the market.
- Overbought conditions can also be blamed for the recent weakness. The S&P 500 reached a 14.9% premium to its 200-day moving average (dma) last week, marking the highest level since 2011. Historical comparisons point to momentum continuing over the next year, but not on a linear path.
- Technically, the S&P 500 violated a short-term uptrend yesterday as momentum indicators turned bearish. While there is a growing risk the current pullback continues lower, there is plenty of support before the longer-term uptrend is challenged. Furthermore, longer-term breadth metrics and overall market leadership remain bullish.
Tags: Current Events, Investing, Investment Portfolio
Market Performance is a Tale of Haves & Have-Nots
Jul 15, 2024
The S&P 500 strung together 37 record highs this year aboard an 18.1% rally, as of July 10. The advance has largely been powered by a handful of mega cap names tied to technology and/or artificial intelligence. In fact, six stocks — NVIDIA (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta (META), and Alphabet (GOOG/L) — are responsible for nearly two-thirds of the S&P 500’s total return this year. As highlighted in the chart below, the Magnificent Seven, which adds Tesla (TSLA) to the aforementioned six stocks, is up 51% on an equal weight basis. Without these seven stocks, the S&P 493 (ex Magnificent Seven) would only be up 8.3%.
Tags: Current Events, Investing, Investment Planning
How US Savings Bonds Work
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 interest, and it also means you may want to consider cashing them in.1 (more…)
Tags: financial advisor charlotte nc, Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Retirement Tax Savings
Tax Planning Tips: Life Insurance
Jan 26, 2024
Understanding the importance of life insurance is one thing. Understanding the tax rules is quite another. As insurance products have evolved and become more sophisticated, the line separating insurance vehicles from investment vehicles has grown blurry. To differentiate between the two, a mix of complex rules and exceptions now governs the taxation of insurance products. If you have neither the time nor the inclination to decipher the IRS regulations, here are some life insurance tax tips and background information to help you make sense of it all.
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Insurance, Investing, Retirement Tax Savings, Tax Advantages, taxes
Investing in Bonds
Sep 27, 2023
Bonds may not be as glamorous as stocks or commodities, but they are a significant component of most investment portfolios. Bonds are traded in huge volumes every day, but their full usefulness is often underappreciated and underestimated.
Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Current Events, financial advisor charlotte nc, Investing, Investment Planning, Investments
More Insights
Jul 9, 2025
Few terms in personal finance are as important, or used as frequently, as “risk.” Nevertheless, few terms are as imprecisely defined. Generally, when financial advisors or the media talk about investment risk, their focus is on the historical price volatility of the asset or investment under discussion.
Jul 7, 2025
As Americans get their grills and beach chairs ready for the July 4th holiday, the stock market and the weather across much of the country have both been on heaters. Stocks and bonds continue to effectively navigate a complex policy landscape shaped by evolving trade dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and fiscal stimulus. The market’s resilience in … Continue reading “Market Update – America Gets Record High Stock Prices for Its Birthday”
Jun 20, 2025
Birthdays may seem less important as you grow older. They may not offer the impact of watershed moments such as getting a driver’s license at 16 and voting at 18. But beginning at age 50, there are several key birthdays that can affect your tax situation, health-care eligibility, and retirement benefits.
Jun 18, 2025
During times like these when geopolitical headlines can be unsettling for investors, we at LPL Research like to remind ourselves of one of our key investing principles. Markets have always faced challenges —ranging from geopolitical conflicts and economic downturns to natural disasters, political upheaval and health crises. These events often trigger short-term volatility and shake … Continue reading “Why Long Term Investing Beats Selling in Volatile Times”
Jun 16, 2025
Are you concerned about the inheritance taxes your heirs may have to pay? Then you may want to consider creating charitable lead trusts.
Top of Page
Services
Epic Capital provides the following comprehensive financial planning and investment management services: Learn More >
Find us on:
Copyright © 2026 Epic Capital Wealth Management. All Rights Reserved.
Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC.
The LPL Financial representative associated with this website may discuss and/or transact securities business only with residents of the following states: CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA.