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A client of mine (we’ll call him “Tom Taxable”) recently asked me if he should consider converting his traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. This question recently reared its head around tax time when Tom was shocked by the amount of tax he had to pay on his “required

So far, the month of April has demonstrated lackluster performance with most major market indices flat or slightly negative through April 21 as follows: Index April Performance, % YTD Performance, % S&P 500 -0.59 +4.91 Dow Jones -0.56 +3.97 Nasdaq  -0.02 +9.80 Russell 2000 -0.20 +

Last week, the markets experienced their first daily loss of more than 1.0% since last October. As of Friday’s close, the S&P 500 was down 1.44% for the week as a result of Washington’s political battles related to repealing Obamacare. However, this was a market pullba

Last week, the markets experienced their first weekly stall in more than a month. As of Friday’s close, the S&P 500 was down 0.44% for the week. This market slowdown was no surprise as stocks have been long overdue for at least a pause in the Trump-induced rally. Actually, s

Last week, 20,000 on the Dow transformed from being a ceiling to a potential “launching pad” for the overall stock market. As of last Friday, the Dow stood at 20,071, while the S&P was approaching 2,300. All three major indices approached record highs last week with th

The markets had a relatively calm week, as investors largely continued the “Trump trade” that we’ve seen since Election Day. Many on Wall Street are leery about the possibility of a “buy-the-president-elect” and “sell after Inauguration Day”.

As we wrap up 2016 and look forward to ushering in the New Year, we have a couple reminders and important changes to be aware of for 2017.     End of Year Deadlines Deadline for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)*: Clients who are 70½ or older must take an RMD from their

Addressing the potential threat of long-term care expenses may be one of the biggest financial challenges for individuals who are developing a retirement strategy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 70% of people over age 65 can expect to need long-term ca

After three weeks of “post-election” gains for the major domestic averages, the “Trump Bump” that’s been fueling markets finally hit a speed bump.  The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite finished the week firmly in the red, falling 0.97% and 2.65%, resp

Wow…what a week…a stunning presidential election upset with political “experts” wrong about the outcome and most investors betting on a Hillary Clinton victory. As I watched the election results around 2am, and it became clear that Donald Trump could actually b