Insights

The S&P 500 moved back to new highs last week and gained in the month of August during a president’s second term for the first time since 1950. That’s the good news. The bad news is we aren’t out of the woods yet, as September is historically the worst month of the year and the …

Have you given much thought to your strategy for Social Security benefits? It’s good to have a plan in place to help you make the most of this program. But you may have questions.

Just because we express a desire to do something, doesn’t mean we’ll do it. Insurance is a great example of this. A recent study on life insurance statistics showed that 42% of Americans report feeling that they need more life insurance coverage.* At the same time, the percentage of familie …

Did you know you can utilize a health savings account (HSA) to invest for your future? HSAs have many tax benefits, including tad-deductible contributions and tax-deferred growth. But is one right for you? This worksheet will help you determine if you qualify, as well as identify common mis …

As a small business owner, you may be so immersed in the day-to-day functions of your business that you haven’t yet put much thought into the day you leave it behind. In fact, for many business owners, the thought of bringing their time to a close can be daunting. Yet planning for your depa …

Understanding Asset Protection Safeguarding your wealth is as important as building it. Even if you make all the right decisions in accumulating and growing wealth, neglecting to protect it can ruin your financial plan. What Is Asset Protection? Asset protection is a set of legal strategies …

Owning a business can be like parenting. You’ve likely experienced many sleepless nights and spent a countless amount of energy on your “baby.” Like parenting, being a business owner can be an enriching journey and make life worth the trip.

 Chances are we’ve all felt a bit like Rachel on the hit show “Friends” when she looked at her first paycheck in bewilderment and said, “Who’s FICA? And why’s he taking all my money?”   

Did you know that your Social Security benefits can be taxed? That’s right, as much as 85% of your Social Security benefits—money that you put away over your entire career—could be subject to taxation when you receive the benefits in retirement. This worksheet helps you figure out if …

In many cases, our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents started collecting their Social Security benefits as late in life as possible. Their generations believed it was a great way to maximize their benefits. As younger generations, we have spent our entire lives listening to their …

The Growing Role of Philanthropy in Wealth Planning People today are more interested than ever in finding ways to align their long-term financial goals and their personal values. According to a report from the consultancy Altrata, charitable contributions from ultra-high net worth individua …

Have you thought about your legacy? We highly recommend that you appoint a trusted family member or friend as your power of attorney (POA), giving them the ability to help with your financial or health needs, should an unfortunate event occur in your life.

There are many options for charitable giving, including simple one-time gifts or annual checks to your favorite causes. But you might consider increasing your impact by setting up a structured, long-term philanthropic plan such as an endowment.   What Is an Endowment?  An endowment is a por …

No single strategy works forever, but you also don’t want to change your approach every time the markets shift slightly. How does investing work – not just for a season or a year or two, but for a lifetime? Time is a major factor when it comes to successful investing.

COVID-19 caused an economic shockwave that we’ll feel for a long time. Nonprofits, from large global networks to the local churches, have been hit hard, too. In a recent survey of 110 nonprofits, 80% of them said revenue had fallen across the board.

By Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist We’ve been hearing many of the same myths over and over, yet we don’t think they are the big worry that the media and many make them out to be. These are legitimate concerns and have many investors worried, but we think the chances of them becoming l …

The S&P 500 moved back to new highs last week and gained in the month of August during a president’s second term for the first time since 1950. That’s the good news. The bad news is we aren’t out of the woods yet, as September is historically the worst month of the year and the …

In the latest episode of Carson’s Take 5, hosts Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist, break down Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments from the Jackson Hole Symposium. While Powell cracked the door open to rate cuts, inflation remains sticky, an …

The S&P 500 was down five days in a row heading into Friday of last week, although the losses were fairly minor with only one day down more than 0.5% (and that one barely). Then Jerome Powell opened the door for a rate cut in September and the bulls stepped up in a historic way. …