Markets Increase Last Week Markets were closed on March 30 for Good Friday, but in the four days of trading, stocks recovered some of this year’s losses.[i] For the week, the S&P 500 added 2.09%, the Dow gained 2.67%, and the NASDAQ increased by 1.03%.[ii] International stocks in the MSCI EAFE grew 0.81%.[iii] Last week […]

One Pro and One Con for a Bucket Savings Strategy The “bucket” savings strategy has been gaining traction in recent years, but is it right for you? The idea is simple: have three “buckets” of money where you save – one for now, one for soon, and one for later. Assets are then allocated to […]

Stocks Drop as Tariffs Rise Markets experienced significant declines last week. The S&P 500 lost 5.95%, the Dow dropped 5.66%, and the NASDAQ declined 6.54%.[i] With these losses, all 3 domestic indexes had their worst weekly performance in more than 2 years.[ii] International stocks also declined, with the MSCI EAFE giving back 2.64%.[iii] What caused […]

3 Myths About Life Insurance You Need to Know With all its intricacies and technicalities, life insurance can be tough to figure out. Knowing these three myths can make your pathway to coverage easier to understand.   Myth #1: I should always buy term insurance and invest the difference. The cost of term life coverage […]

A Look Back Markets were up on Friday, but domestic stocks lost ground for the week as political turmoil and potential trade wars weighed on investors’ minds.[i] The S&P 500 dropped 1.24%, the Dow gave back 1.54%, and the NASDAQ decreased 1.04%.[ii] International stocks in the MSCI EAFE barely avoided losses with a 0.13% gain.[iii] […]

3 Reasons Annuities Make Sense for Retirement Right Now Annuities have been a hot commodity in recent years but can sometimes get a bad reputation. While annuities aren’t for everyone, there are situations where annuities may be the best option available, especially as you near retirement. Here’s three situations where annuities may work best.   […]

Goldilocks Returns Domestic stocks leapt ahead last week as the latest jobs report inspired renewed confidence in our economic standing. The S&P 500 added 3.54%, and the Dow gained 3.25%.[i] The NASDAQ erased its losses from February’s market correction to hit a new record close while growing 4.17% for the week.[ii] International stocks in the […]

5 Tax Changes You Need to Know for 2018 It’s that time of year—Uncle Sam is asking for money again. If you’ve kept up with the news, you probably know the tax laws have changed a bit. Here’s five important changes you should know before Tax Day. Standard deductions increase. If you’re married and filing […]

Volatile Markets Continue Volatility continued last week as markets posted their 1st weekly loss in 3 weeks.[i] Despite some recovery on Friday, the S&P 500 dropped 2.04%, the NASDAQ slipped 1.12%, and the Dow lost 3.05% for the week.[ii] Internationally, the MSCI EAFE fell 2.91%.[iii] Last week’s ups-and-downs began with continued questions over whether the […]

Best Reasons For Long Term Care? Not the most exciting topic, long-term care (LTC) is often avoided or overlooked by people when planning their retirement years. However, it can be one of the most important things to have later in life. Having an LTC policy in place can save your family a lot of time, […]