Monthly Newsletters

How Financial Scams Work, and How to Keep Yourself Safe No Matter Your Level of Wealth

In the late 1920s, an enterprising Bostonian started selling subdivisions in the sunny ‘burbs of Florida. Promising orange trees in the backyard and rolling waves out the front door, he sold plots – sometimes 23 an acre! – near bustling towns like Nettie. Unfortunately, the entrepreneur’s name was Charles Ponzi, and Nettie, like his other locales, was a work of lucrative fiction.

Blog

How to Take Advantage of Donor-Advised Funds and Special 2020 Tax Deductions for Donations

As a CPA, one of the questions that I have been getting more frequently is, “What is a donor-advised fund?” This is not surprising as the number of individual donor-advised fund accounts has grown by over 50% for the second year in a row, according to the National Philanthropic Trust’s 2019 DAF Report.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: S&P Continues Decline, but Home Sales on the Rise

The S&P 500 declined for the fourth straight week. On Wednesday, the index of large U.S. companies had declined just more than 9.5% but rallied late in the week. The S&P 500 is 7.8% below its Sept. 2 high. The four-week decline has matched the characteristics of a price adjustment after a large run-up in markets.

Videos

Charitable Gift Planning Strategies for 2020

Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, offers key insights and strategies for charitable giving during our on-demand webinar, “Charitable Gift Planning Strategies for 2020.” Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Restaurants are Rebounding, but S&P Still Lags

Retail sales figures continued a string of economic data pointing toward slowing growth accompanied by a gradual reopening of state economies. Consumers seem willing to take some risks. Retail and food service sales rose 0.6% last month. (See Chart 1.) Increased sales at restaurants contributed most to the monthly gains.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: The S&P fell for the Second Week Straight and Inflation Rises

Stocks continued to retreat as losses on Tuesday were large enough to push the market down more than 2% for the second week in a row. The S&P 500 has retraced 6.7% of its massive rally from the lows in March.

Videos

Rewirement: Rewiring The Way You Think About Retirement

Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, hosts “Rewirement: Rewiring The Way You Think About Retirement.” A lot has changed since your parents retired, and the world is a more expensive, complex place: Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Sharp Decline in S&P 500 Could Signal More Volatility

Investors were reminded stock investing comes with volatility as the S&P 500 dropped 3.5% on Thursday and declined 2.3% for the week. The downside pressure was felt most directly by stocks that had performed best. Figure 1 shows the best performing stocks this year (furthest to the right) lagged during the downturn (closest to the bottom).

Monthly Newsletters

How to Invest Creatively in Your Fall Vacation this Year

Sneaking away during the lull between peak times – “the shoulder season” – is popular with savvy travelers for reduced crowds, milder weather and usually great deals on travel packages.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Higher Inflation Expected in Coming Years, S&P Sees More Gains

The Federal Reserve announced a major policy revision last week. The revised strategy indicates rates will stay low for a long period of time and will increase slower than in past rate cycles. The report and a subsequent speech by Fed Chair Jay Powell indicate the Fed will allow inflation to move above its 2% target to make up for periods when inflation has been less than 2%.

Insights