We love to inform people on the latest industry trends and how to make educated financial choices. Be sure to stay connected with us, and updated with our discussions!
[Video] Merry Christmas!
STEPHEN SMALENBERGER, EA Think of a special gift you’ve gotten for Christmas? One that we like to give is shared experiences. Think of a Disney on Ice, going on a ski trip with your family, dinner, movie, or concert tickets. All of these are really special because it shows that you’ve thought of someone else…
[Video] Donating Appreciated Stock
STEPHEN SMALENBERGER, EA Maybe you’re considering a way to support a not-for-profit organization that you believe in. Here’s a way to do just that with something that you already own… appreciated stock. What is appreciated stock? It is an investment that has grown since you bought it. Let’s use an example and use some number…
Qualified Charitable Distributions [Video]
Maybe you’re thinking of a way to support a not-for-profit or charity that you believe in. Here’s another way to do that with something you already have; your traditional IRA. These are known as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD). We’ve talked about IRAs before and how when you take money out it’s taxable. At age 72…
The Market Moves Forward In Spite of Headlines
The Market Moves Forward In Spite of Headlines Every day brings a new headline story that we may or may not expect. It’s often the expectation or lack of it that causes the volatility we see in that day’s market performance. But your decision to invest can be made in spite of the news story…
Consider The Economic Cycle
Consider The Economic Cycle Deciding how to invest a portfolio starts with where we believe we are in the economic market cycle. Many well respected analysts believe the market potentially has another year to run and keep moving higher with a potential late 2018 or 2019 pullback where we could see a recession. So believing…
[Video] Being Thankful
STEPHEN SMALENBERGER, EA & MICHELLE SMALENBERGER, CFP® What reminds you of Thanksgiving? Is it gathering around the table with family? Is it going to grandma’s house? Is it football or pumpkin pie? Think back to the very first Thanksgiving, when the pilgrims left England with everything they had in the boat. They still celebrated, because…
Solid Ground Market & Britain’s Former Prime Minister
Solid Ground Market The past couple of weeks we have seen volatility return to the market. In the wake of this volatility we start to question the strength of what the market is standing on. In fact we see that 2018-2019 has a solid ground in the market projections! This past week was the annual…
Volatility Ahead In Tax Reform
Volatility Ahead In Tax Reform Remember this post from back in July? “Caution: Speed Bumps Ahead” The items mentioned in that post just months ago sure seem familiar today. This is a fair look at how the cycle of politics is ever-spinning and the effect it can have on the market. In July, the political…
[Video] What Needs To Happen Before 12/31
What Needs To Happen Before 12/31 As we approach the end of the year what things do we need to be thinking about? What HAS to happen before 12/31? We’ve created a list of these items that you can download at our website, but right now we are going to talk through each of these…
What A Difference A Day Makes
What A Difference A Day Makes This last week brought many news headlines. One day in particular, Thursday, Nov. 3rd, brought many of those headlines. Let’s look into these stories to understand how our portfolios will be affected. Fed Governor Jerome Powell nominated as Federal Reserve Chair Mr. Powell is expected to largely follow in…
[Video] Complete Your RMD’s
What are RMD’s and how can you make sure they are complete? Another item on your year-end checklist is making sure that your required minimum distributions are completed. There can be a variety of different types of accounts that this affects so we really want to make sure that we don’t forget about something. This…
One Thing Is Driving The Market Higher [Right Now…]
Just One Thing In The Tax Bill Is Driving The Market Higher We’ve all been listening to the commotion about tax reform. You may know the House of Representatives has passed their version of a tax reform bill. And the Senate has also passed their own version of a tax reform bill. So now the…