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Guidance for Life's Dreams. Our mission statement is part of our logo. The relationship we build with our clients is to help them navigate through life's challenges. Sometimes it's more than money management. This blog will provide a place for us to share what's on our mind, what events might be shaping our decisions, and how we can work together to fully understand your own financial situation. 

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Nobody wants a repeat of May 2023, when lawmakers engaged in high-profile, high-stakes talks over the debt ceiling. The stock market was held captive to the ebb and flow of updates, falling when talks faltered and rising when an agreement s

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Falling bond yields–spurred by weak economic data–helped lift stocks to weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.43%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 2.50%.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Pullbacks can be painful because they break trend lines and support levels. Worse, they can cause investors to second guess their strategy.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Why is August a volatile month? One simple reason: many people are on vacation.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate—manage inflation and maximize employment. But sometimes, those economic goals conflict with each other. As you can see in the accompanying chart, labor shortages in 2022 pressured...

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Thursday, July 20, 2023

Inflation is tricky, and people can have different experiences with rising prices depending on their spending habits.

Monday, July 10, 2023

In explaining why the Fed may boost interest rates again in 2023, Fed Chair Powell said, “What’s really driving it … is a very strong labor market.”

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Investors shrugged off weekend news of a short-lived insurrection in Russia and calls later in the week for more restrictive monetary policies from global central bankers.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

When you time the markets, you have to be right twice – first when getting out and second when getting back in.

Monday, June 19, 2023

On June 19, 1865, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to proclaim the freedom of all enslaved individuals

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Now that the debt ceiling negotiations are behind us and President Biden has signed the measure, what will Wall Street's wandering eye focus on next?

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Stocks were weighed down for much of the week by stumbling debt ceiling negotiations, which appeared to reach an impasse at one point. Technology stocks, which have led the market this year, were under pressure.

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Would it surprise you to hear that investors have moved past worrying about inflation? They have, at least for now. Wall Street has shifted its attention to Washington’s budget negotiations.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Investors are cautious even thought the S&P 500 is basically unchanged during the past year. They've pulled more cash to the sidelines in 2023.

Friday, April 21, 2023

Each year more people think about Earth Day and how they might contribute to the effort of protecting our planet.

Monday, April 17, 2023

Certain retirement and investment strategies are critical to the well being of your family. Sometimes the conversations are the most difficult part.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Watching the news cycle isn't healthy for your portfolio. Some good news here and some bad news there, and you might start to rethink a well-constructed investment strategy.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Yellen subsequently testified that the Treasury was not working on any blanket insurance for bank deposits and by the Fed’s warning that banking turmoil could shrink lending access — the volatile week ended with sharp intraday price swings,

Monday, March 20, 2023

Many investors may be tempted to react in the wake of both the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank's financial troubles. After all, the unprecedented events of last week would test the mettle of even the most seasoned investor.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

March is Women's History Month, a time to recognize the remarkable contributions of women throughout history.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

This isn't the first time we as a nation have had to hear about the Debt Ceiling. Do we know what it means and how it can impact us?

Thursday, February 16, 2023

It seems like only a few months ago, European economies appeared to be wrestling with several serious issues, including the Ukraine war, supply chain disruptions, and red-hot inflation.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Fed Chair Powell began his post-meeting Q&A session saying something almost no one expected to hear, “...the disinflationary process has started.”

Thursday, February 2, 2023

People are quick to remind me that stocks are off to a good start in 2023, inflation appears to be trending lower, and the economy was strong in Q4. All true. But it takes more than a few good weeks and a couple of solid economic reports to

Monday, January 30, 2023

Being careful with your personal data means more than just shredding your documents. Help protect against identity theft with these common sense actions.

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Creating a diverse investment portfolio is the best way to ensure your savings stay ahead of inflation. If you already have investments, make a new year’s resolution to review your investments and see if you are on the right track.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

This article intends to give you a broad overview of SECURE 2.0. It's not intended as a substitute for real-life advice. Remember that just because retirement rules have changed does not mean that adjusting your current strategy is appropri

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Check out this free educational webinar series for important information on why taxes are different in retirement.

Friday, December 16, 2022

An 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

The specific approaches for your overall financial management should be shared with appropriate family members while everyone is together for the holidays

Friday, December 2, 2022

Have you enrolled in Medicare, or are you considering it? If so, you should know that anyone who receives Medicare is eligible to receive Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

Monday, November 28, 2022

If you have a lot of family members, or even if you have quite a few friends, you may feel inclined to go all out on holiday shopping because you don't want to exclude anyone. Be careful with your generosity.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Like most people, your initial understanding of Social Security probably came from word of mouth or things you watched on the news. Social Security can be complex and confusing with many stipulations

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

The IRS offers “Catch-Up Contributions” as a way to save a bit extra each year. Starting at age 50 you can contribute an extra $6,500 a year to many workplace retirement plans.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Hawkish comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, following the announcement of another 75 basis points interest rate hike last week, cast a pall over financial markets, sending yields higher and stocks lower.The Dow Jones Industrial...

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Retail investors often do the wrong thing at the wrong time. But this year, they have been mostly correct in their bearish view.

Friday, October 28, 2022

After months of high inflation and financial uncertainty, the IRA has released some cost-of-living-based adjustments have reached near-record levels.

Friday, October 21, 2022

Coordinate Social Security benefits with your overall retirement planning. Know how to maximize your Social Security benefit to potentially maximize your retirement income.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Not planning for your finances during a divorce can add to the stress

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

This year saw five interest rate increases in seven months — making it the quickest tightening cycle in modern history.

Friday, September 30, 2022

The Feds monetary policy of raising interest rates to slow inflation without triggering a recession has created a lot of uncertainty.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

It isn’t surprising that the overwhelming majority of individuals who work with a financial advisor feel confident that the investment is well worth the money.

Thursday, September 8, 2022

There are still quite a few questions to be answered, but here are some key points to know about the White House student loan forgiveness program

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Be prepared to roll with an uptick in stock market volatility, and don’t let seasonal trading influence your overall strategy.

Monday, August 22, 2022

These days, an encouraging word can feel like a relief. Here are a few positive stories I’ve noticed lately – like an “everything bagel” sprinkled with good news.I saw a recent report in The Guardian about the...

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

The Federal Reserve’s recent attempt to tame inflation has resulted in a sharp decline in bond prices. In this article we investigate why bond prices fall.

Monday, July 11, 2022

High Inflation, the war in Ukraine, rising mortgage rates and falling portfolio values have all impacted consumer sentiment, but there are some reasons the US economic outlook may be brighter than some suspect.

Friday, June 24, 2022

Join us as we unearth the history of bear and bull markets. You'll see there is no reason to panic.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

In our 2nd of 4 part-look at this bear market, again we are turning to AssetMark, Inc and posting an article about the Worst Years for U.S. Stocks

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

We review the history of bear markets to understand the potential good and bad news for investors once the market has crossed the dreaded threshold.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

I'm the TaxmanMost Baby Boomers will recognize the cutting lyrics to the Beatles song Taxman. "If you drive a car, I'll tax the street. If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat. If it gets too cold, I'll tax the heat. If you...

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

You need to stop, look around, breathe and be present always to those who you love and care about.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Younger generations look to life insurance to protect what they've earned

Monday, May 2, 2022

The war in Ukraine. Fed’s shift to inflation-fighting mode. Chronic volatility in equity markets. China real estate showing signs of stress. Get ready to buckle your seat belt as we dissect converging economic forces from Q1 2022.