While the Republicans’ “repeal and replace” American Health Care Act has been withdrawn for now, apparently left to wither on the vine as Congress attends to other matters, it’s likely that it will be revived in some form or fashion in the near future. If and when the bill does…
Beneficiary Designations: A Primer
As the nation prepares to inaugurate a new president with strongly different viewpoints and policy prescriptions than those who have preceded him, a number of financial rules and regulations have found themselves suddenly on the chopping block. President-elect Trump and potential members of his administration have already openly challenged last…
Keep An Eye On Bond Yield Spreads
As the Federal Reserve Board continues to consider whether (or when) to resume increasing the target for its benchmark Fed Funds Rate—which has now stood below 1% for a record 96 straight months—investors everywhere are taking a second look at their fixed income holdings, lest they find themselves improperly positioned…
The Election and Your Portfolio
Since the financial crisis and ensuing Great Recession, we’ve all become accustomed to the increasingly active role that politicians (and central banks) have taken in managing economic and market outcomes. For today’s investors, political risk has become a near-constant phenomenon, an integral part of the market’s ongoing background noise. And…
International Stocks: Why Bother?
In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, markets around the world responded swiftly and violently to the political and economic uncertainty that the “Leave” result presented. The British Pound lost roughly 10% against other major currencies, and several global stock markets were hit hard by the news. While U.S. markets…
Car Buying vs. Leasing: A Primer
With interest rates of all types sitting at or near historic lows, buying a car has rarely been easier. As a result, U.S. auto sales hit an all-time high of 17.47 million in 2015, and sales in the first half of 2016 continued at a record pace. But as vehicle…
Managing Your Digital Estate
Confronting our own mortality is never a pleasant task, and as a result, estate planning considerations tend to take a back seat in the financial planning process. Indeed, an estimated 55% of Americans are currently living without a will or other estate plan in place, a number that is only…
Social Security "File and Suspend" Strategy Repealed
While the dawn of a new year brought relatively few changes with respect to tax rules and policies—a few credits and deductions were made “permanent” instead of “temporary”, but little else changed—there was one recent change to a government benefit program that could have a significant impact on married couples’…
529... or IRA?
As a new year dawns, many of us are taking a fresh look at our household budgets, determining where and how we plan to save money over the next twelve months. During that process, we’ll inevitably face tradeoffs between various financial goals—should we pay down debt, or build up our…
Strong Dollar Impacts U.S. Corporations
One of the downstream impacts of the Fed’s recent monetary policy tightening is a steadily appreciating dollar, as it gains ground against the currencies of nations whose banks continue to ease policy. While a strengthening dollar is not without its benefits, it typically harms multinational corporations who have significant international…
