by Ashlee Desteiger | Aug 21, 2023 | Technical Topics
Myth or Fact: My income tax rate will be lower in retirement. While difficult to predict with certainty, more and more factors are siding toward MYTH. Why? Tax Rates We are experiencing the lowest tax rates in the US due to the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, which will...
by Ashlee Desteiger | Jul 27, 2023 | Technical Topics
What’s a home country bias? In general, home country bias leads investors to focus on assets with which they are familiar due to geography rather than what may be attractive and appropriate for their portfolios. This bias doesn’t just stop at countries –...
by Ashlee Desteiger | Jun 26, 2023 | Technical Topics
What does a hawkish pause mean for YOU? At the June meeting, the Fed decided to hit pause on rate hikes after more than a year of rapid monetary policy tightening. Since last March, the Fed raised rates ten times from zero to 5%, making this the second-fastest rate...
by Ashlee Desteiger | May 28, 2023 | Technical Topics
Annuities have a bad reputation, but is it warranted? Annuity types vary, but the most common are: Fixed Annuities pay out a specific amount to the payee. Variable Annuities are precisely that – payments vary based on the underlying portfolio’s returns. Indexed...
by Ashlee Desteiger | Apr 27, 2023 | Technical Topics
Exhausted by the daily market moves? Last year (2022) was tough; stocks and bonds moved in tandem (negatively) for only the fourth time in history. The S&P 500 and Barclays Aggregate returned negative 18.1% and 13.0%, respectively. On top of that, there were 65...
by Ashlee Desteiger | Mar 30, 2023 | Technical Topics
Do you have an estate tax issue? Here are some fancy estate planning concepts broken down in plain English. But first, let’s start with the basics. What’s the current exemption? The estate tax exemption will be HALVED in 2026 due to the expiration of the...
