Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Health savings accounts are triple tax-advantaged. These accounts have become increasingly popular, as they allow employees access to a tax-deferred means of saving money to pay for medical costs now and in retirement.
Mortgages for Buying and Remodeling a Home
Generally, for mortgages obtained after December 15, 2017, you can deduct all of the interest you pay on a home mortgage, up to $750,000, as…
Converting a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA
Roth IRA conversions have gained popularity, thanks to the removal of the income cap on conversions several years ago. A Roth IRA allows your principal and earnings to grow completely tax-free, because contributions are made to a Roth IRA after tax.
Early Funding is Best for 401(k) and Other Retirement Plans—But It’s Never Too Late to Start
Putting away part of every paycheck for your future is a powerful way to set yourself up for financial success. If you have a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan, you can contribute $22,500 in 2023. If you’ll be at least age 50 by December 31 of 2023, you can make an additional contribution of $7,500, […]
Bear Markets & Recessions: Solo Fliers or Fellow Travelers?
While the terms “bear market” and “recession” can apply simultaneously in times of a declining stock market and a slowing economy, each has a unique meaning and use. As explained in our article “Why Do We Refer to Markets as Bulls and Bears?”, the definition of a bear market is a decrease of at least […]
3 Truths for Volatile Times
Summer 2022 Investors can always expect uncertainty. While volatile periods like the one we’re experiencing now can be intense, investors who learn to embrace uncertainty may often triumph in the long run. Reacting to down markets is a good way to derail progress made toward reaching your financial goals. Here are three lessons to keep […]
The Pros and Cons of High Inflation
Inflation is the loss of purchasing power over time, meaning that your money buys less than what it did in the past. Historically, inflation has averaged approximately 3% per year. However, we’re in an extremely high inflationary period right now—over the 12 months ended June 30, 2022, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), a measure of inflation, increased 9.1%, the highest level since 1981.
A Dip Now May Not Mean A Down Year
Stock market slides over a few days or months may lead investors to anticipate a down year. But that fallacy is easily disproven by examining a broad U.S. stock market index, which had positive returns in 17 of the past 20 calendar years, despite notable dips in many of those years. Even in 2020, when […]
The War in Ukraine
We believe that the most effective way to mitigate the risk of unexpected events is through broad diversification and a flexible, systematic, and active investment process. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an important reminder that geopolitical risk is part of investing in global markets.
What Does It Mean to Reach the Top of the Stock Market?
Investors are often conflicted about record-high stock prices. They are pleased to see their existing equity holdings gain in value but apprehensive that higher prices somehow foreshadow a dramatic downturn. And they may be reluctant to make new purchases since the traditional “buy low, sell high” mantra suggests committing funds to stocks at an all-time […]
