There is an old saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” The problem with that old adage? Making lemonade from lemons requires more ingredients than wishful thinking. Recently, Lyle wrote a blog post highlighting a client’s experience dealing with an unexpected job loss and how, through this stressful time, he ended up finding something more fulfilling. In the blog, Lyle wrote one sentence that stood out to me: “At… Read More
Adversity looks different to many of us, from a lost job or new career path to health issues and natural disasters that impact our business or family. What the term holds in common for all of us, though, is that we will face situations that are difficult to resolve. I recently met with a couple reflecting on their journey. About eight years ago, the husband unexpectedly lost his well-paying corporate… Read More
Recently, my child, a high school freshman, started a personal finance class at school. As a parent, I’m thankful she has the opportunity to increase her financial literacy in a structured way. Although, it reminds me that many financial lessons are learned through the course of daily life. Some adults have not been taught financial literacy, and for them, those lessons can often be learned the hard way. Why We… Read More
Tax season is upon us once again, and as we start accumulating the various forms and documents filling our mailboxes, the process of tax preparation begins. While it can be daunting, each tax document you receive from income sources, investments, or business entities provides a piece of the puzzle to complete the full picture of your income. We have compiled helpful information on the three most common forms you… Read More
This week, we continue our 2024 year in review with a look at how fixed income performed last year. One of the hot topics in the market over the past few years has been the influence of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions. These decisions have certainly affected the fixed income markets, particularly in 2024 as interest rate cuts were made. The Impact of Interest Rates on Bonds The Fed… Read More
I’m a big ice hockey fan! To be more specific, I’m a big Philadelphia Flyers fan! Of the four major North American sports, ice hockey ranks fourth in popularity. I think for many people, the lack of goal scoring makes ice hockey seem less exciting than other sports. For me, it’s the anticipation of goal scoring that holds my attention. If I get out of my seat for a minute… Read More
Last week, Garry introduced our blog series reflecting on the 2024 investment markets. This week, we’re diving deeper into the stock market’s performance, highlighting key trends and insights. The 2024 Stock Market: Overview 2024 marked another strong year of positive returns for investors. Following the downturn in 2022, patience was rewarded as both 2023 and 2024 delivered substantial gains. In 2024, several stock market indexes achieved outsized returns: the S&P… Read More
As we begin a new year, it gives us an opportunity to look back on the year in markets in 2024. It was a largely positive year across most asset classes, and we will review different parts of the 2024 market over the next few weeks during our Q1 blog series. During preparation for this blog series, I was curious to look back at what the “experts” predicted for the… Read More
As of the end of 2022, Americans held approximately $37.8 trillion in retirement plans and accounts ($26.3 trillion in employer-sponsored plans and $11.5 trillion in IRAs). These accounts have been around a long time, IRAs and 401(k)s were both initially established in the 1970s. If they were collectibles, they’d be approaching vintage status. Most of us enjoy the allure of new and shiny gadgets, so it’s easy to… Read More
It is, once again, the beginning of a new year! The arrival of a new year provides all of us with a chance to reflect on 2024 and consider what we want to see happen in 2025. This process of reflection and planning is very valuable, and it is one of our favorite exercises to walk through with our clients. Here are a few reasons why we feel this exercise… Read More
