The stock market has been anything but stable recently. And unsurprisingly, that usually means our emotions haven’t been either. Financial freedom is tied to market performance, and when you start hearing about “down markets” or “recessions,” one question tends to come up in our nervous brains… Should I sell my stock? At its face it seems like a reasonable question. Afterall, if the market is headed for a prolonged downturn,…
On election day, the narrow passage of Proposition 19 in California brought good news for some homeowners. The new law allows homeowners who are over 55, or disabled, or victims of wildfires or other disasters to transfer the tax base of their primary residence to a replacement residence. This expands on the current law which allows homeowners over 55 to retain their tax base within their own county or some reciprocal counties,…
The IRS released the dollar limits for 2021 qualified retirement plan contributions. For 2021, employees’ and owners’ ability to defer compensation and invest for their future remains about the same as 2020. Because of low inflation, most of the common contribution levels were left unchanged, with defined contribution total dollar amounts (from employee and employer contributions combined) increasing by only $1,000. Although individual contribution levels have not increased, super savers ,who focus…
There’s no question we’re all living in unsettled times. Global citizens and the world economy are under stress, and uncertainty is heightened in all aspects of our lives. People are worried about their health, and that of family, friends, neighbors. Some have temporarily or permanently lost jobs or taken a hit to their income. Leaders of many companies are forced to make difficult decisions. Social distancing is impacting the human…
As we adjust to the effects of COVID-19 in our lives, stimulus package passed by Congress on March 27th may help individuals and small businesses. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, as well as previously announced tax filing relief, should help with business and personal cash flows and provide economic stimulus. In addition, prior action by the Federal Reserve to reduce interest rates and provide liquidity…
To help businesses survive the coronavirus economy, the government is providing support. If are in or run a small business adversely affected by the coronavirus directly or indirectly, explore the recent CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loan, Disaster Loan (& grant) Assistance, or Employee Retention Credit program. The PPP started 4/3/20 for small businesses, and 4/10/20 for sole proprietorships and independent contractors. These programs expects high application volume,…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020, and includes provisions to assist retirement plan participants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, through financial help. The new law provides distribution and loan relief to participants if you have been diagnosed with coronavirus disease or if you have experienced adverse financial consequences due to the pandemic on account of being quarantined, furloughed, or…
How many generations does it typically take to wipe out family wealth, and what can you do about it? What is the impact of emotional investing on the average investor’s returns? How would the economies of all US 50 states rank if they were countries? How should Fiduciaries evaluate target date funds? Is a CEO economic confidence index up or down? How many months after an inverted yield curve does…
