The Stock Market – October 2020

October was the worst month since last March, with the S&P 500 down 3.5%.  The Dow Jones 30 index was even worse, down nearly 6%.  For all of 2020, the Dow Jones was down 7.1% What was the ...

While no one can say with certainly which way the market will go following the election, here are some thoughts. With Trump, we could see: Lower taxes Less fiscal stimulus A continued, ...

This newsletter contains a large amount of material from an August 24, 2020 Hartford Funds newsletter. IT’S NOT JUST COVID-19 AND THE SUBSEQUENT ECONOMIC SLUMP THAT ARE OCCUPYING INVESTORS’ ...

When you leave (or have left) an employer, you have several choices of what to do with your qualified retirement plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b).  Each choice has distinct advantages and ...

July 15, 2020 is the deadline for filing your federal income tax return for tax year 2019 or requesting an extension.  It is also the deadline to make contributions to your Individual Retirement ...

Normally, if you are age 72 or over this year, you must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your IRA each year.  This same requirement exists if you were required to take an RMD in ...

Background: Since tax year 2018, the standard tax deduction has been $12,000 if your filing status was single and $24,000 for joint couples.  (Deductions are adjusted upward each year for ...

The most frequent question clients ask me is, “How can I take advantage of the current depressed market?  Should we be buying now since prices have dropped so much? ”  I emphasize that the ...

Needless to say, today is an ugly day for the stock market, with the Dow Jones down about 2,000 points (8.0%) as I write this.  I’ve been through this before and am confident that it will turn ...

THE SECURE ACT:  In December 2019, Congress passed the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” (SECURE) Act.  (Long name with a misleading acronym.)  This retirement ...