Over the past few weeks, an increasing number of market-focused articles and analyses have begun to discuss the U.S. Treasury yield curve, which was recently described by CNBC as “one of the most reliable recession indicators in the market”. And indeed, the yield curve’s history of predictions is an impressive…
Know Your IRA Penalty Exceptions
Tax-deferred retirement accounts are an integral part of any well-designed financial plan, but they do come with certain drawbacks. Some individuals who have been particularly aggressive deferring income into 401(k) plans or IRAs might eventually find that a significant portion of their net worth—if not essentially all of it—is tied…
Should I Pay Down My Mortgage?
As both short-term interest rates and 30-year mortgage rates continue to edge higher, homeowners are beginning to question anew the relative benefits of paying down mortgage debt versus setting aside their excess cash for other purposes. Determining “the right amount” of mortgage debt to hold is a complicated decision, and…
Tax Reform Becomes Law
After a frenzied process marked by numerous rewrites and edits, Congress closed out 2017 by passing the most aggressive tax reform bill in decades. Headlined by a significant corporate tax cut, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act fundamentally rewrote portions of the tax code, promising to impact households and corporations…
Are HSAs the New IRA?
While the Republicans’ “repeal and replace” American Health Care Act has been withdrawn for now, apparently left to wither on the vine as Congress attends to other matters, it’s likely that it will be revived in some form or fashion in the near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…
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Social Security "File and Suspend" Strategy Repealed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’…
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…
Knowing Your Fiduciary
In an article written earlier this year, we noted a recently-settled class-action lawsuit brought by the employees of Lockheed Martin against the company, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty within the firm’s 401(k) plan. That settlement was followed by a similar one this August, this one involving 190,000 employees and retirees…
