Posts Tagged ‘CFA’
After 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 MoreQ3 2021 Stock Market Commentary
Market volatility is back in a big way. In our last report, we noted that the market was “climbing a wall of worry” as the market just seemed to go up and up and up despite pockets of bad news here and there. Late in the quarter, however, that unmitigated move higher finally hit a roadblock…
Read MoreQ1 2021 Stock Market Commentary
The market continued to surge higher as we said goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021. Additional stimulus, mass vaccinations, and hopes for a return to a fully opened economy provided a nice backdrop for the market to further its gains. As rosy as that all sounds, we did run into some volatility late in…
Read MoreQ2 2020 – Second Quarter Stock Market Commentary
There is an old saying on Wall Street, “The stock market is not the economy and the economy is not the stock market.” We all got a little taste of that this past quarter when we saw a negative -4.8% GDP in the first quarter and predictions of negative -30% to -50% GDP for the second quarter. We saw record…
Read MoreBuying a Home
There’s no doubt about it–owning a home is an exciting prospect. After all, you’ve always dreamed of having a place that you could truly call your own. But buying a home can be stressful, especially when you’re buying one for the first time. Fortunately, knowing what to expect can make it a lot easier. How…
Read MoreGetting Started: Establishing a Financial Safety Net
In times of crisis, you don’t want to be shaking pennies out of a piggy bank. Having a financial safety net in place can ensure that you’re protected when a financial emergency arises. One way to accomplish this is by setting up a cash reserve, a pool of readily available funds that can help you…
Read MoreEstate Planning: An Introduction
By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what estate planning means to you specifically depends on who you are. Your age, health, wealth, lifestyle, life…
Read MoreDeciding When to Retire: When Timing Becomes Critical
Deciding when to retire may not be one decision but a series of decisions and calculations. For example, you’ll need to estimate not only your anticipated expenses, but also what sources of retirement income you’ll have and how long you’ll need your retirement savings to last. You’ll need to take into account your life expectancy…
Read More2018 Retirement Plan Contribution Limit Increases
The beginning of the New Year brings increases to the contribution limits for 401k, 403b, and 457 plans. You can now contribute up to $18,500. This is an increase of $500 from 2017. Additionally, if you are over the age of 50, the catch up contribution of $6,000 per year is still allowable which means…
Read MoreRules of an Inherited Traditional IRA
When inheriting a traditional IRA in a non-spousal relationship, you have different options based on the age of the original account holder of the traditional IRA. If the account holder was under 70 1/2 you have three options: Life Expectancy Method: annual distributions over your life expectancy based on your age in the calendar year following…
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