Investment Management
IRS Releases Standard Mileage Rates for 2025
The IRS has increased the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business purposes for 2025. However, the standard mileage rates for medical and moving expense purposes remain the same for 2025. The standard mileage rate for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for charitable purposes…
Read MoreQ4 2024 Market Commentary: A Year-End Rally Caps Off a Robust Year
As we closed the books in 2024, the financial markets have delivered an impressive performance, defying early-year skepticism and rewarding patient investors. The fourth quarter saw a continuation of the year’s positive momentum, with major stock market indices reaching new heights and the broader market participation expanding. We’re reminded that steering away from the negative…
Read MoreThe Fed Finally Cut Interest Rates. What Could It Mean for Your Finances?
On September 18, 2024, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the benchmark federal funds rate one-half percentage point to a range of 4.75% to 5.0%. It was the first rate cut since the Fed raised the funds rate aggressively from March 2022 to July 2023 to help control inflation.¹ The long-awaited policy…
Read More2024 Year-End Tax Tips
Here are some things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. 1. Defer income to next year Consider opportunities to defer income to 2025, particularly if you think you may be in a lower tax bracket then. For example, you may be able to defer a…
Read MoreAfter a Massive Breach, Is Your Data in Danger?
National Public Data, a consumer data broker, confirmed last week that a hacker had targeted the company in December 2023, “with potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024.”Other reports indicate that this leaked data had been found on the dark web and could include the names, addresses, phone numbers, and Social…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary Q1 2024
The last quarter of 2023 was marked by a sudden turning point in the interest rate rhetoric of the Fed, a resilient economy led by a strong consumer, and a normalization of inflation. At the end of Q3, the Fed continued to raise interest rates as investors continued to wonder when the hikes would come…
Read MoreI-Bonds: Should you buy, sell, or hold?
Since the height of the COVID pandemic, inflation has been difficult to grapple with as more and more investors demand stability in their portfolio. However, in October of 2022, one interest-earning asset quickly came into the spotlight as both a secure and lucrative investment: U.S Series I Savings Bonds. When it comes to I-Bonds, there…
Read MoreWhy It Is Never Too Early to Save for Retirement
When it comes to a successful retirement, there are several secret ingredients that most retirees wish they had known sooner. For most young Americans, the pursuit of retirement is self-sacrificing, and often goes hand in hand with an austere feeling from the compromise in lifestyle and spending habits that must take place. Consequently, the next…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary Q3 2023
Investors began the third quarter of 2023 focusing on the potential peak in interest rates, the robust rally from the bottom of the stock market, and renewed optimism of a soft landing derived from trends of cooling inflation and economic growth. However, as rates continued to rise from a hawkish Fed, both the bond…
Read MoreMonthly Market Insights | May 2023
US Markets Stock overcame recession worries and mixed corporate earnings results in April, ending mostly higher. For the month, the Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 2.48%, whereas the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.46%. The Nasdaq Composite which was up nearly 17% in the first quarter of 2023, was flat 0.04% in April.…
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