May 10th, 2021: It’s embarrasing to admit this but in our earnings season preview on April 12, when the consensus estimate reflected a nearly 24% increase, we wrote that S&P 500 Index earnings growth for the first quarter could potentially exceed 30%. Fast forward to today...

April 26th, 2021: Last week we discussed whether stock prices might be reflecting peak optimism. In that commentary we noted that while sentiment may be overly optimistic and a pickup in volatility would be totally normal, strong breadth measures suggest stocks still may hav...

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America affecting millions of unsuspecting individuals each year. A dishonest person who has your Social Security number can use it to obtain tax and other financial and personal information about you....

Congratulations on your new job! As you navigate through a new onboarding process, you stop suddenly when you get to the discussion of retirement plans. And then you think: What about my plan at my previous employer? What do I do with the money in that account?...

For 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is paying out a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) of 1.3%. This amounts to about $20 more a month in benefits for the average retired worker and $33 more a month for a typical retired couple, according to SSA estimates. In pl...

Deciding when to retire and begin collecting Social Security is an important life decision. For some, savings losses may dictate that you delay your retirement plans and continue working, which means postponing when you begin collecting Social Security. ...

As you travel the savings road toward retirement and beyond, certain key dates will pop up. Some of these dates are critically important to your retirement planning efforts. Taking the right retirement planning steps as you reach each of the following age milestones could he...

Seventy-two is an important age milestone for those in or near retirement, as it marks the time when required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin to be withdrawn annually from IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans (previously, the threshold was 70 ½). The milestone ca...

In an effort to save money, the Social Security Administration (SSA) stopped mailing annual statements nearly a decade ago. The yearly statements were helpful, as they helped workers estimate their Social Security benefits....

For many people, a 529 savings plan offers an opportunity to achieve an important life goal and improve overall financial health. As college and university administrators determine how higher education will look in the future (classes on campus, remote learning or a mix of b...

Many prospective investors eventually shy away from a commitment when they hear the dreaded “R” word: risk. By itself, risk is innocuous, carrying no special meaning or predictive result. But the idea that investing one’s money is not foolproof; that there are risks in...

While there is no single action that can boost the collective confidence of retirees, there are several key investment mistakes that, if avoided, can help maximize retirement savings and provide confidence to those who are entering their Golden Years....