Blog

The “Sandwich Generation” faces a lot of struggles. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, it describes a demographic where usually middle-aged individuals must support aging parents at the same time they’re raising children.

Financial freedom is a state of being in control of one's finances, covering expenses easily, and saving for future goals. Financial freedom enables you to choose how you spend or interact with your money.

With rising housing prices and interest rates, you may feel pressured to jump on the carousel to avoid being left behind. However, a home is one of the most expensive purchases most Americans will make.

Reading a homeowners insurance policy for the first time can be intimidating. With all the jargon, exclusions, and conditions you'll encounter, you may start thinking that Mom was right--you should have gone to law school after all.

For generations, homeownership has been billed as the hallmark of the American Dream. However, for high earners, it can also be a way to reduce taxes, receive more favorable capital gains treatment, and invest in their family's future.

Estate planning helps disperse your assets according to your wishes. The effort may seem daunting at first, but estate planning does not have to be overly complicated.

As Generation X, often referred to as the "forgotten generation," inches closer to retirement, a unique set of challenges and concerns emerges. Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen Xers find themselves facing a pivotal moment.

Over the past few years, the market has appeared to be on a rollercoaster, providing investors with moments of excitement followed by heart-palpitating anxiety. Staying ahead during uncertain market activity seems impossible.

Planning for retirement often involves focusing on your finances and ensuring that you not only will have enough to sustain you during your retirement but adequate funds to do the things you enjoy doing.

Do you consider yourself a high-net-worth individual (HNWI)? Most people tend not to categorize themselves or see themselves as anything more than a spouse, parent, sibling, neighbor, boss, or business owner.

In an unexpected turn of events, the IRS announced another delay in the implementation of the new reporting rule that would require third-party payment apps, for example, Zelle, PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo, to report earned income over...

In times of market volatility, when inflation is increasing, the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to help to cool the inflation spike. During this period, people are anxious and keep a tight grip on their wallets. In time, the...

In the world of investing, risk and reward go hand-in-hand. To help manage risk and reward, investors often utilize a portfolio diversification strategy that mitigates risk while working toward accumulation across asset classes....

Economists and pundits predicted that the baby boomer generation's retirement would be dramatic, and the COVID pandemic sped things along. According to the St. Louis Fed, the number of retirees in the U.S. increased by 7% between...

Dear Valued Investor, LPL Research recently unveiled Outlook 2024: A Turning Point, which recaps where markets have been over the last half of 2023 to help position your portfolio through midyear of 2024. It’s with pleasure that...

Tax planning might be complex, but it's also essential—especially for high-net-worth families, where missing tax breaks or failing to optimize income could cost significant dollars, maybe millions, over a lifetime. And even in...

As age 73 nears, it is critical that you begin considering how you want to handle the required minimum distributions (RMDs) you are obligated to withdraw from your tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

Improving return by minimizing taxes Although we are all obligated to pay our fair share of taxes, few of us would be pleased to pay taxes unnecessarily. Because taxes lower the actual return on your investments.

For many of us, a new year is an opportunity for fresh starts and discovering the best versions of ourselves, but some things—like tax contributions and retirement deadlines—don't change much, if at all.

As the year’s end approaches, High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) must prepare for one of the most critical monetary tasks: year-end tax planning.

In 2013, a Gallup poll found that only about one in every three U.S. households maintained a budget.(1) A 2021 survey of 1,000 Americans found that 80% now say they have a budget.(2) Americans are budgeting more due to the pandemic.

A call to action for Generation X to improve their retirement readiness. For many members of Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980, a comfortable retirement may feel like an increasingly distant dream.

With a few simple actions, you can ensure your estate planning is effective. Whether your estate plan is simple or complex, there are many details, which are often overlooked, that can undermine your plan’s effectiveness.

Trying to reconcile recent market advances with not-so-good economic data. U.S. stock markets continue to trend up as optimism returns to Wall Street while Main Street USA continues to struggle.

It's nice to own stocks, bonds, and other investments. Nice, that is, until it's time to fill out your federal income tax return. At that point, you may be left scratching your head.

It's generally a good idea to review your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan at least once each year and when major life changes occur. If you haven't given your plan a thorough review within the last 12 months, now may be good.

Investing in U.S. stocks and bonds is a popular way for individuals and institutions to grow their wealth and generate income. However, it is important to consider the impact of taxes on these investments.

Our 2023 investing outlook started with a theme of returning to normalcy. Considering 2022’s market volatility and the aftereffects of the pandemic, the idea of finding balance was certainly a welcomed change.

“Old-fashioned” practices, such as periodic financial reviews, can lead to greater confidence in the long run. As the year passes its midpoint, why not spend a few hours reviewing your finances?

Every day we’re bombarded with reports of what’s hot and what’s not – fueling a fear of missing out (FOMO) on some great investment opportunity. Here are some tips to avoid derailing your investment strategies.

A Backdoor Roth IRA is a strategy that allows individuals who earn too much to directly contribute to a Roth IRA to still contribute to one indirectly. Read on for more information.

Every year you need to realistically estimate your life expectancy to manage the foundation for your retirement. Here are five pointers to help plan during retirement.

High Net-Worth executives and those that have been self-employed, can experience common problems in their financial planning journey. Here are a few tips for preparing for retirement after earning a high income.

Tax season can be a stressful time, especially if you're not fully prepared. With some advance planning and preparation, you can take steps to mitigate your tax bill for the upcoming year.

Companies have been buying back their own stock at record levels – something President Joe Biden doesn’t care for. What are stock buybacks, and why do some people consider them to be a bad thing?

Before you rush to get that return out the door, are you confident you have everything in order to make your tax filing go as smoothly as possible? Here are five last-minute details to double-check before Tax Day.

What should you know about the Secure Act 2.0 that may impact you and your financial and retirement goals?

Over the past several years, the performance of international markets have trailed the markets here in the United States. Here are some thoughts for you to think about as you consider markets outside our borders.

In the spirit of making predictions that will actually come true, we share the Top 5 for 2023 – delivered in order of certainty.

Insurance is a great way to protect yourself and your loved ones from high or unexpected costs. There are several different types of policies that you can purchase; here’s a closer look at how you can benefit from having insurance.

The end of the year is the ideal time to stop and consider issues that may affect your financial future. Use our year-end guide to address tax, estate and insurance planning and other topics.

Many nearing retirement fail to consider their future tax burden. While you'll likely see a reduction in taxes owed, you need to plan ahead to minimize your tax bill from the IRS. Read more for strategies for retirement tax planning.

Taxes are inevitable. But why pay more than you have to? The trick to minimizing your federal income tax liability is to understand the rules and make the most of your tax planning opportunities. Here are some tips to follow.

As we approach the end of the year, you may want to review areas that may impact your wealth and estate planning next year. In this year-end planning guide, we examine four critical areas to consider that may affect your finances:...

A Philosophical QuestionEvery consumer likes a good bargain, particularly value investors, who seek out stocks trading for less than their intrinsic value. By choosing companies the market has undervalued, or investing in mutual funds...

Financial planning is unique for each person; no two financial plans look the same because everyone's life and personal goals are different. Regardless of what your goals are, financial planning can help you work towards achieving them...

1.  What is long-term care?Long-term care refers to the ongoing services and support needed by people who have chronic health conditions or disabilities. There are three levels of long-term care:Skilled care: Generally...

Understanding your style of investing is an important step – especially today. Are you a Growth investor or a Value investor? Or do you prefer a mix of the two?Understanding your style of investing is an important step in deciding...

Whether you're seeking to manage your own assets, control how your assets are distributed after your death, or plan for incapacity, trusts can help you accomplish your estate planning goals. Their power is in their versatility —...

With the wide variety of stocks in the market, figuring out which ones you want to invest in can be a challenging task. Many investors feel it's useful to have a system for finding stocks that might be worth buying, deciding what price...

When investing, particularly for long-term goals, there are two concepts you will likely hear about over and over again — diversification and asset allocation.Diversification helps limit exposure to loss in any one investment or...

If you sometimes feel like your financial life has too many moving parts, you may be looking for ways to get back to the basics—without letting anything slip through the cracks. Fortunately, simplifying your finances does not...

A life insurance policy is part of financial planning. Life insurance is there to help ease the financial trauma that comes with the loss of a spouse, parent, or partner. As you encounter different events in your life, you may need to...

The Stock Market has been trying to teach these lessons forever….The real value of a bear market may be that it gives investors, who are temporarily frozen within its grip, the opportunity to learn or relearn important lessons...

Whether you dream of a travel-filled retirement or would prefer to relax and enjoy spending more time at home, you are probably wondering what you might consider to make your golden years as stress-free as possible.For those who spent...

The Federal Reserve recently released data showing the average retirement savings by age in the U.S. for 2019 to 2020—and the results may surprise you.The savers with the highest average balance are those ages 55 to 64, with an...

If you find yourself wavering back and forth on whether it's worth involving a financial professional for tax, retirement, or investment advice, consider this:A financial professional may be able to help defend you against crime and...