Inflation continues to increase in ‘stickier’ areas
Inflation dipped again in September, but it has broadened out across shelter, food, and other retail items even as energy costs have declined recently. The decline is a good start, but we are still at very high levels which we believe will keep the Fed aggressive in its battle to get inflation back closer to […]
Inflation continues to broaden out
Inflation has started to increase in “stickier” areas, meaning bottlenecks have not yet begun to clear.
The Fed needs to get past peak inflation to be successful
Changing interest rate expectations have driven volatility in the stock and bond markets. From the Fed’s December to March meetings, expectations changed from three to possibly 10 rate hikes in 2022, and expectations have continued to increase following May’s 8.6% inflation report. This led investors to reprice stock investments based to reflect expectations for more aggressive Fed actions. The Fed needs to get past peak inflation to be successful.
There’s still time to make IRA contributions for 2021
It’s not too late to make contributions to your traditional or Roth IRA for the 2021 tax year. Contributions made up until April 18, 2022, may be deducted from your 2021 tax return. Any contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA made until the April 18 filing date must be designated for 2021 to the […]
Fixed or floating interest rates for business loans? Maybe both
The recent news from the Federal Reserve about potential interest rate increases to combat the inflation the economy is currently seeing is making business owners rethink their existing business debt. A question that businesses are considering nowadays is whether or not they should look into locking in variable rate loans they currently have. The answer […]
Time to plan for the future is NOW
Many business owners have seen financial success in the past year and, upon review, realize that the value of their assets and businesses are at an all-time high. This makes now the prime time to understand your net worth, get your estate documents in order, take advantage of the lowest exemption amounts, and develop the […]
Fixed or floating rates? Maybe both
Imagine buying a newly issued bond from the U.S. Treasury (“UST”) today. If you did, you’d earn 1.27% per year for the next 10-years. Hard to imagine. After you factor in inflation, you would probably be losing money! In fact, at the beginning of this year, the rate on a 10-Year UST stood at less […]
The IRS has announced 2022 amounts for Health Savings Accounts
The IRS recently released guidance providing the 2022 inflation-adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Fundamentals of HSAs An HSA is a trust created or organized exclusively for the purpose of paying the “qualified medical expenses” of an “account beneficiary.” An HSA can only be established for the benefit of an “eligible individual” who is […]
Plan ahead for the Net Investment Income Tax
High-income taxpayers face a 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) that is imposed in addition to regular income tax. Fortunately, there are some steps you may be able to take to reduce its impact. The NIIT applies to you only if modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds: $250,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly and surviving […]
Bonds remain stable investment amid 1Q decline
The first quarter of 2021 was positive for U.S. stocks, but bonds declined amid the rise in interest rates. With the dramatic spike in interest rates discussed here, bonds performed poorly in the first quarter of the year. The Barclay’s Aggregate Bond index was down more than 3% in the first quarter, a large loss […]