Social Wellness: What is It and Why is it Important?

Social wellness refers to the relationships you have and how you interact with others. It involves building and maintaining positive, supportive relationships and fostering meaningful connections. If you prioritize becoming socially well, you will enjoy less stress, a more robust immune system, and a healthy heart and endocrine system. How social wellness relates to financial […]

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Retirement Confidence Remains Strong, Despite Pandemic

Despite the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic, American workers and retirees remain largely optimistic about their financial prospects for retirement. In its annual Retirement Confidence Survey conducted in January 2021, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that 80% of retirees and 72% of workers were either very or somewhat confident in their ability […]

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Stocks Are Going Streaking

To quote the great Frank the Tank from Old School, “We’re going streaking!” Although Frank had another idea, stocks have been streaking in some historic ways, both near-term and longer-term. Let’s start with the more recent action. The S&P 500 Index was recently higher seven consecutive days for the first time since last August, but […]

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The Fed Calms Rate Hike Worries

The Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) has been doing all they can the past few days to calm the fears over last week’s hawkish Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. Fed Chair Jerome Powell testified to Congress that inflation is indeed transitory, and he isn’t considering hiking rates yet, until there is an actual inflation or imbalances. New York Fed […]

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Annuity Basics

An annuity is a contract between you, the purchaser or owner, and an insurance company, the annuity issuer. In its simplest form, you pay money to an annuity issuer, and the issuer pays out the principal and earnings back to you or to a named beneficiary. Life insurance companies first developed annuities to provide income […]

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Tax Benefits of Making a QCD

At the end of 2015, Congress permanently extended the rule allowing taxpayers to exclude from taxable income certain individual retirement account (IRA) distributions made directly to a qualified charity. Otherwise known as qualified charitable distributions, or QCDs, such transfers can provide individuals who were already planning to make a charitable gift with several tax benefits. […]

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A Date with Destiny

As you travel the savings road toward retirement and beyond, certain key dates will pop up. Some of these dates are critically important to your retirement planning efforts. Taking the right retirement planning steps as you reach each of the following age milestones could help you maximize your income, minimize your taxes and avoid penalties.  […]

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