The market finished 2018 the same way it began, with steep declines and wild volatility. Following a smooth rally in the third quarter, which brought the market to new all-time highs, the fourth quarter began with a sudden and steep drop, which reached its crescendo on Christmas eve. The dramatic … Read more »
Beginning in 2019, the lifetime estate and gift tax exclusion (which is indexed for inflation) is projected to rise to $11.4 million, up from $11.18 million in 2018. This is the limit on tax-free wealth transfers during one’s lifetime or at death. As a result, couples who have not yet … Read more »
With a spirit of deep gratitude and thanksgiving, we would like to thank all of our clients and friends for their confidence and support over the past many years. While we remain focused on our business and our fiduciary responsibility for our clients’ financial matters, we try to keep in … Read more »
Quarterly Results Following a period of heightened volatility earlier in the year, the third quarter saw the market break out once again to the upside, with an impressive 7.7% return for U.S. stocks as measured by the S&P 500. This brings the year-to-date total return for the index to 10.6%. … Read more »
Following a period of elevated volatility earlier in the year, the second quarter saw the market return to a much more stable and positive pattern, with each month posting a positive return. However, despite the positive returns, the year-to-date gain of 2.7% for the S&P 500 falls well short of … Read more »
Following an incredible year that enjoyed better than average market returns and remarkably low volatility, the market’s smooth ride turned rather chaotic during the first quarter. January began the year with an impressive gain, with the S&P 500 increasing 5.7%, which is the best January return in 21 years. Then … Read more »
Mark Twain once said, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” The same can be said about some of the stock market activity in recent years. We believe there are striking similarities between last month’s market correction (a correction is a loss of 10% or greater) and two other … Read more »
As time goes by, tax practitioners are coming to better understand some of the significant changes brought about by the new tax act, which became law in late December. Among these changes are a significant reduction of the tax deductibility of business meals and entertainment. To summarize, the old rules generally … Read more »
Following an extended period of low market volatility and remarkable returns, we have received an unwelcome reminder that markets don’t just go up, they can also go down. Worse, sometimes the declines can be swift and painful as they have been over the past few days. As of Monday, the … Read more »
In a recent Washington Post story, columnist Liz Weston describes, “What good financial advice looks like.” Her article begins, “Good financial advice can help you achieve your life goals. Bad financial advice can cost you a fortune and leave you worse off than if you had tried to go it … Read more »
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