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Understanding Capital Gains Tax as an Investor

As an investor, you may be impacted by capital gains if you sell your investment – whether at a gain or loss. Understanding capital gains may help with your overall investment strategy and the potential to preserve your wealth....

Countdown To Investing in the New Year: 10 Questions To Ask Yourself

If one of your New Year's resolutions involves enhancing and expanding your investment portfolio, look no further. In a true New Year's Eve countdown tradition, ask yourself these 10 questions to help review your investment plans...

An Annual Financial 'To-Do' List to Help Keep Your Finances on Track

Each year, many of us focus on our financial health by resetting goals and checking off items on our financial to-do list. Attempting to implement everything at once can be overwhelming but a month-by-month approach may help you plan...

Ten Charts That Defined Capital Markets In 2022

Most investors would like to put 2022 behind them. Before we close the book on the year, we’ve assembled 10 charts that defined the year—the year in pictures. Not surprisingly, most of the charts remind us of how difficult...

LPL Financial Research Outlook 2023: Finding Balance

Through all the challenges, newfound opportunities, and every high and low we’ve experienced during the last couple of years, it’s no surprise why we might be striving for more balance. Whether it’s about the markets...

The 12 Days of Year-End Planning: Things to Consider Going into “The New Year"

At the end of the year, it is necessary to reflect on your financial picture, review the last 12 months, and plan for the future. With all that is involved, it can seem overwhelming. Consider breaking up the responsibilities over...

IRS Increases 401(k) Limit By Record Amounts

As inflation soars, you can now save a lot more for your retirement.  On October 21st, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the amount individuals can contribute to their 401(k) plans in 2023 has increased to $22...

Enduring Market Volatility With a Financial Plan

If you hope to retire soon and are concerned about what the future may hold for your investments, you are not alone. Inflation has many retirees and soon-to-be retirees worried about outliving their savings and investments.1 What...

Warren Buffett on How to Plan for Inflation

Inflation swindles almost everybody – stock investors, bond investors…We’ve all heard about Warren Buffett, the 91-year-old multibillionaire known for his friendly demeanor, modest style of living in Omaha, and...

Preparing for Year-End and the 2022/2023 Tax Season

Year-end is approaching and being prepared is the best way to make this tax season your easiest yet. Following are important information and tools to help you get ready. As always, meeting with us early and often will ensure your...

Jobs Report Gives Hope to Soft Landing

Mixed FeelingsMany analysts are likely having mixed feelings from reading the September jobs report. Yes, the persistent gain in jobs could keep alive the dream for a soft landing. But, the tighter labor conditions will likely keep the...

Investor Pessimism Still at Historic Lows

The latest weekly data from the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) showed the percentage of individual investors who are bullish about short-term market expectations at very depressed levels (20.4%), and continued the...

Thriving Through Market Volatility

What should you keep in mind during periods of market volatility?

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

Your life insurance needs change as your life changes. When you are young, you may not have a need for life insurance. However, as you take on more responsibility and your family grows, your life insurance needs increase. Your needs...

401(K) Rollover Options to Consider

When people are leaving their employer, one of the decisions they need to make is what to do with their 401(k). A retirement plan participant typically has four options (and may engage in a combination of these options), each choice...

Inflation Reduction Act: What You Should Know

The Inflation Reduction Act includes health-care and energy-related provisions, a new corporate alternative minimum tax, and an excise tax on certain corporate repurchases of stock.The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on August...

State Tax Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2022

Fourteen states have notable tax changes taking effect on July 1 Although the majority of 2022 state tax changes take effect at the start of the calendar year, some are implemented at the beginning of the fiscal year. Individual and...

Could Inflation Be Entering A New World Order?

Goods versus ServicesBefore we think about the new world order that global inflation may enter, let’s start with the good news within the United States. The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) preferred measure of inflation, the core...

Midyear Outlook 2022: Navigating Turbulence

Markets rarely give us clear skies, and there are always threats to watch for on the horizon, but the right preparation, context, and support can help us navigate anything that may lie ahead. So far, this year hasn’t seen a...

Rising Rates Join Long List of Housing Dilemmas

Homebuyers braving the hot U.S. housing market have run headlong into a striking transition. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage jumped from around 3.2% at the beginning of 2022 to 5.3% in mid-May, the highest level...

Five Lessons To Remember During Bear Markets

The Stock Market has been trying to teach these lessons forever….The real value of a bear market may be that it gives investors, who are temporarily frozen within its grip, the opportunity to learn or relearn important lessons...

Market Volatility Can Stir Your Loss Aversion

At the foundation of your financial well-being lies your behavior. Here is a statement that is bound to cause you to raise your eyebrows: Your long-term financial success may depend less on the structure of your portfolio than on...

Financial Planning Tips for Small Business Owners

When you're a small business owner, you need to pay extra careful attention to both your business and personal finances. Your financial planning strategies should simultaneously encourage the success of your business while also working...

8 Timeless Principles of Investing

8 Timeless Principles of Investing to Download our free e-book  "8 Timeless Principles of Investing." 

The Facts about Social Security Retirement Benefits

Social Security Retirement benefits are one thing that people know of, but often what they know isn't always accurate. First, the Social Security Trust Fund was created in 1939 as part of Old Age and Survivors Insurance by the Social...

How Financial Asset Management May Help Investors Stay the Course

Most people who decide to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles do so understanding that there are risks associated with investing, but believing that the potential growth they may realize over time...

What You Should Know About Contributing to an IRA at Every Age

A traditional IRA offers a great way to shield income from taxation while boosting your retirement accounts. Meanwhile, a Roth IRA can let you pay tomorrow's taxes today. But how can workers who are eligible to contribute to either...

If Russia Invades Ukraine, What Should You Do?

Wall Street has little recent history to go from, but two things are very likely. Starting in late 2021 and throughout all of 2022, Wall Street has debated what markets might do if Russia invades Ukraine.

Tips for Navigating a Volatile Retirement

Retirement is the time in your life when you want to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of years of hard work. But unfortunately, when the market is volatile, it may bring additional anxiety and stress. The good news is, a volatile...

2021/2022 Tax Season at a Glance

Download the 2021/2022 Tax Season at a Glance guide from LPL.

Getting Your Financial House in Order

Tips for Organizing Your Financial Documents

Five Wealth-Building New Year's Resolutions

RMD Roundup: A Few Key Updates About Required Minimum Distributions

As we approach the end of 2021, now might be a good time to take a closer look at a few developments surrounding required minimum distributions (RMDs). What Are RMDs? Once you reach age 72, you are required to take minimum...

Focus on Your Wellness This Holiday Season

The holidays are prime time for eating delicious food, celebrating with loved ones, and creating long-lasting memories. However, all this cheer can be both physically and mentally draining. That’s why it is essential to focus on...

A Season of Giving: 5 Different Ways To Give During the Holidays

With the holidays here, now is the time to get into the giving spirit and help to change others' lives for the better. Whether you are looking to make a difference in a specific person's life or the life of many, there are many ways to...

Are You Maximizing 401(k) Contributions?

The more money that you can save when you are working, the easier it should be for you to retire and enjoy your golden years. Unfortunately, Social Security may no longer provide a sufficient income to live on during retirement. To...

As Stock Markets Peak, Check Your Emotions

Emotions often drive investors to make poor decisions and underperform. Dynamic investing and overall fitness can often come down to discipline (and planning). Why aren’t you reaping the investment returns you read about in the...

Appropriate Checklists for Year-End Tax Planning

What are appropriate checklists for year-end tax planning? Tax planners often develop checklists to guide taxpayers toward year-end strategies that might help reduce taxes. Typically, suggestions are grouped into several different...

Understanding the Estate Planning Process

A well-structured estate plan can be invaluable to you and your family It is common for people to put off planning their estates. After all, no one wants to anticipate his or her own death. In addition, many people may believe that...

Jump-Starting the LTC Conversation

Talking about long-term care (LTC) can be challenging, and it can be especially difficult to know where to start. How you choose to broach the conversation may depend on your loved one’s personality, age, health status, cognitive...

One Tax Shift Most People Miss in Retirement

See if you can spot the flaw in this couple's plan: A husband and wife are retiring next month at age 62, with an equal amount saved in retirement and non-retirement accounts (let's call it $500,000 each). Like most, over their...

Venture Capital Investments Already Double 2020

But the U.S. median VC fund size is also at its highest level since 2008… On July 8th, research firm FactSet reported that for the first half of 2021, venture capital (VC) investments have reached over $280 billion, surpassing...

The Fed’s Statement is Not Hawkish or Dovish

And with inflation and a looming debt ceiling fight, uncertainty is rampant The uncertainty that Washington policy makers foment can be considered a big culprit in our economic stasis. What will happen next with the Federal...

Socially Responsible Investing

Investing with an eye toward promoting social, political, or environmental concerns (or at least not supporting activities you feel are harmful) doesn't mean you have to forgo pursuing a return on your money. Socially responsible...

Why Inflation Rate Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Why the inflation rate doesn’t tell the whole story – all it takes is a spike in a category like used cars to cause consumer prices to soar. Markets, economists and policymakers have been fretting about inflation for months...

Shortages and Bottlenecks Expose Weak Links in U.S. Supply Chains

U.S. consumers won't soon forget the troubling shortages of personal protective equipment during the early days of the pandemic, or when the first stay-at-home orders spurred panic buying and stress-inducing shortages of toilet paper,...

When To Call Me- Times to Call Your Financial Advisors

Most of us go to see professionals when we’re in trouble or during times of crisis. Think about it. We go to the doctor when we’re sick. We go see a lawyer when we have a pending legal matter. We go see a counselor when...

Key Benefits of a Financial Advisor

Whether you've been wondering about boosting your investments' rates of return or are concerned that your financial affairs are a bit too complicated for your next of kin to handle, it may be time to seek advice from a financial...

529 Plans vs. Other College Savings Options

529 plans can be a great way to save for college, but they're not the only way. When you're investing for a major goal like education, it makes sense to be familiar with all of your options. Mutual funds Mutual funds are an option to...

A Checklist for Your Retirement Planning

Remember, it is never too early to start planning for your future The time to begin planning for your financial future is now. So, when it comes to preparing for retirement, the earlier you start, the better. Here are some steps to...

Common Retirement Investment Mistakes

Only one-in-four Americans (27%) feel very confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire, according to the 2020 Retirement Confidence Survey Summary Report.⁠11 While the number is up slightly from the...

Inflation and Taxes Could Rise. Are You Ready for Retirement?

Americans are starting to experience the impact of increasing prices at the supermarket and the start of inflation. Also, clothing at retail stores is depleting as manufacturing has halted, creating demand for products ordinarily...