Financial planning is the process that can help you pursue your goals by evaluating your whole financial picture, then outlining strategies that are tailored to your individual needs and available resources. Just as the success of a military mission is dependent upon proper planning, your financial success may be dependent upon creating a sound financial […]
3 Tax Strategies to Consider at Year-End
With the year rapidly coming to a close, and the upcoming tax year looming with uncertainties, you should consider updating your tax strategy to best preserve your assets into the future. Don’t wait to make these adjustments. Check out some of the tax strategies below and then reach out to your financial professional now so […]
3 Common Social Security Scams and How To Avoid Being Fooled by Them
Targeted scams have become even more popular with the amount of personal information readily available on the internet. Social Security recipients are, unfortunately, targeted by some of the most sophisticated scam artists out there. From phone scams to phishing attempts and intercepted deposits, here are three common Social Security scams and how you might avoid […]
Federal Reserve Preview: Trick or Treat?
With a series of important economic indicators suggesting the economy is declining and inflation is finally decelerating, albeit very slowly, markets are beginning to factor in that the Fed may soon transition to a less aggressive stance in early 2023. Here we preview this week’s Fed meeting and discuss whether investors will get a trick […]
Three Things to Know About Recessions
If the U.S. economy enters a recession, the causes and potential outcome will be hotly debated. At LPL Research, our starting point is always looking at history. This week’s commentary will remind us of three things we know about historical recessions. TECHNICAL DEFINITION First, a recession has an important technical definition that’s different than what […]
Low Bar for Earnings Season
Expectations are very low for this earnings season. The challenges are many, with intense cost pressures and slowing economic growth at the top of the list. The chorus of analysts and strategists calling for big cuts to estimates has gotten louder. Expect estimates to come down, but not collapse. Here we take a look at […]
Pockets of Vulnerabilities
As Federal Reserve (Fed) officials continue to emphasize the Fed’s commitment towards restoring price stability, the dollar marches ever higher. Markets are currently pricing in another 75-basis point rate hike at the November 2 Fed meeting as calls for the Fed to halt its aggressive campaign are mounting. Worries persist that tightening financial conditions, underpinned […]
Could the Worst Be Behind Us?
Dear Valued Investor, First, we want to acknowledge the tremendous damage and displacement caused by Hurricane Ian. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this devastating storm. This has clearly been a challenging year for households. Stocks and bonds are both down significantly. Elevated food and gas prices continue to stretch budgets, and higher interest […]
How Secure Is Social Security
If you’re paying attention to the news, you’ve probably come across story after story on the health of Social Security. And depending on the actuarial assumptions used and the political slant, Social Security has been described as everything from a program in need of some adjustments to one in crisis requiring immediate, drastic reform. Obviously, […]
Better Times Ahead
Dear Valued Investor, In the last several weeks, we have continued to face elevated uncertainty in financial markets due to high inflation and rising interest rates, and we thought it was an important time to take stock with the final quarter of 2022 just ahead. It has been a difficult year, not only for investors […]