Sunwook Jin, CFP®, CRPC®, CMFC®, EA Are you having a tough time keeping track of inflation's mixed signals? You’re not alone. Inflation has been a constant talking point this year and it can make us uncomfortable. As written by a colleague, inflation can be a scary word. Consumer prices in July climbed at their fastest … Continue reading Mixed Signals on Inflation
How U.S. Savings Bonds Work
Bill Gordon, AIF® 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 … Continue reading How U.S. Savings Bonds Work
When Should I NOT Contribute to my 401k?
Sunwook Jin, CFP®, CRPC®, CMFC®, EA You probably read this headline and immediately thought to yourself, “I have always been told to contribute to my 401k.” You wouldn’t be wrong; you have heard that a lot. In fact, we tell our clients that frequently. However, like any “blanket statement” you hear, it’s important to drill … Continue reading When Should I NOT Contribute to my 401k?
The Expanded Child Tax Credit
Bill Gordon, AIF® The federal government has upgraded its Child Tax Credit. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, there are four notable differences in effect for the 2021 tax year only.1 First, the Internal Revenue Service is paying many families who qualify for the CTC 50% of their credit before 2021 ends. Second, the … Continue reading The Expanded Child Tax Credit
Teenage Wage-Land
Sunwook Jin, CFP®, CRPC®, CMFC®, EA Summer jobs are a perennial aspect of the American workforce. It’s a time when teenagers are filling out applications and, in many cases, earning wages of their own for the first time. But some of what we’ve become accustomed to may be changing. In May, leading into the summer … Continue reading Teenage Wage-Land
Ways to Fund a Special Needs Trust
Bill Gordon, AIF® If you have a child with special needs, a trust may be a financial priority. There are many crucial goods and services that Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income might not pay for, and a special needs trust may be used to address those financial challenges. Most importantly, a special needs trust may … Continue reading Ways to Fund a Special Needs Trust
Late on Your Mid-Year Financial Checkup?
Sunwook Jin, CFP®, CRPC®, CMFC®, EA With July officially behind us, it’s time to face the facts: we’re in the second half of 2021. While there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the rest of summer, we encourage you to slow down and check up on your financial well-being. If you haven’t conducted your mid-year … Continue reading Late on Your Mid-Year Financial Checkup?
The Quiet Fall in Bond Yields
Bill Gordon, AIF® With all the attention given to inflation, stock prices, and job reports, it’s been easy to overlook the remarkable move in the bond market during the past few months. There is a good chance that bonds make up a certain percentage of your portfolio so keeping an eye on the bond market … Continue reading The Quiet Fall in Bond Yields
Bigger COLA Increase for Social Security?
Sunwook Jin, CFP®, CRPC®, CMFC®, EA The news keeps getting better for Social Security recipients. A few weeks ago I wrote about the projected COLA increase for 2022. It's now projected that benefits will increase 6.1% in 2022, up from the 4.7% forecast just two months ago. That would be the most significant increase since … Continue reading Bigger COLA Increase for Social Security?
Roaring Start to Earnings Season
Bill Gordon, AIF® Corporate earnings season has begun, and the results are turning heads on Wall Street. Of the 120 companies in the S&P 500 index that reported numbers as of Friday, July 23, 89% of them beat the Street’s earnings-per-share estimates by an average of nearly 21%.1 The robust results are leading Wall Street … Continue reading Roaring Start to Earnings Season