Tag: Investment Planning

Roth IRA Conversions in time of COVID-19

Apr 13, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up nearly every aspect of American life. To say it’s been a difficult time would be an understatement.

However, difficult times may open doors to new possibilities. Businesses are changing their ways of operating, and individuals are exploring new avenues for investment. It may be time for you to consider some opportunities, as well. (more…)

Tags: Investment Planning, retirement

Market Update: Wednesday, March 18

Mar 18, 2020

Our everyday lives have changed dramatically over the last few weeks as we work together to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know these efforts are necessary, but they also have come at a cost. (more…)

Tags: Current Events, financial advisor charlotte nc, Financial Help, Investment Planning

Coronavirus and More

Mar 2, 2020

In recent weeks, we’ve seen several major stories in the news. On the political front, in addition to the arrival of the presidential election through the 2020 caucuses and primaries, we have just experienced the third presidential impeachment in American history. In international news, the latest coronavirus outbreak has hit China, now referred to as COVID-19, leading to closed borders and heightened screening at hospitals worldwide.¹ (more…)

Tags: Current Events, financial advisor charlotte nc, Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Investment Planning

SECURE ACT Lesser Known Provisions

Feb 20, 2020

The SECURE Act passed into law in late 2019 and changed several aspects of retirement investing. These modifications included modifying the ability to stretch an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and changing the age when IRA holders must start taking requirement minimum distributions to 72-years-old.^1,2 (more…)

Tags: Education Planning, Estate Planning, Investment Planning, Legacy, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Secure Act

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

Four Words You Shouldn’t Believe

Dec 18, 2019

“This time is different.” Beware those four little words. They are perhaps the most dangerous words an investor can believe in. If you believe “this time is different,” you are mentally positioning yourself to exit the stock market and make impulsive, short-sighted decisions with your money. This is the belief that has made too many investors miss out on the best market days and scramble to catch up with Wall Street recoveries.

Stock market investing is a long-term proposition – which is true for most forms of investing. Any form of long-range investing demands a certain temperament. You must be patient, you must be dedicated to realizing your objectives, and you can’t let short-term headlines deter you from your long-term quest. (more…)

Tags: Investing, Investment Planning

Trust Deed Investments

Nov 18, 2019

Trust deeds may seem to be a fairly straightforward form of financial investment. You may have heard of them in passing without being certain exactly what they are. It’s also referred to as a private trust deed.

What are they? At the core, these private trust deeds are sort of like mortgages that are used by real estate investors to borrow money to purchase property or finance buildings. The “sort of” part comes from the fact that these private trust deeds are not exactly like the mortgage a homeowner might take from a bank or other mortgage lender to buy a house. (more…)

Tags: financial advisor, Investing, Investment Planning

Tax Efficiency

Sep 4, 2019

The after-tax return vs. the pretax return. Everyone wants their investments to perform well. But for many investors it’s their after-tax return that may make all the difference. After all, even if your portfolio is earning double-digit returns, it may not matter if you’re also losing a percent of those earnings to taxes. (more…)

Tags: charlotte NC, Investment Planning, Tax Deductions

Do Your Investments Match Your Risk Tolerance?

Jul 31, 2019

From time to time, it is a good idea to review how your portfolio assets are allocated – how they are divided among asset classes.

At the inception of your investment strategy, your target asset allocations reflect your tolerance for risk. Over time, though, your portfolio may need adjustments to maintain those target allocations.

Since the financial markets are dynamic, the different investments in your portfolio will gain or lose value as different asset classes have good or bad years. When stocks outperform more conservative asset classes, the portion of your portfolio invested in equities grows more than the other portions. (more…)

Tags: Investment Planning, retirement