Blog

Safeguarding Your Identity: Essential Tips for Financial Security

Richard Gigliotti, RICP®

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Statistics show that nearly 33% of Americans have faced some identity theft attempts in their lives, and experts estimate there is a new case of identity theft every 22 seconds. As financial professionals, one of our primary goals is...

The Impact of Elections on the Markets and Tax Policy

Richard Gigliotti, RICP®

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

The Impact of Elections on the Markets and Tax Policy With Labor Day behind us, we're in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential election race. As we follow the news and parse the most recent polls, some may ask, "How might what...

Don’t Be A Victim Of The Retirement Crisis

Richard Gigliotti, RICP®

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Don’t Be A Victim Of The Retirement Crisis If you think the United States has a retirement crisis, you are not alone. A recent survey found that 79% of working-age Americans believe the same thing. That percentage is up from 67% in...

Investors typically include equities in their long-term plans with the expectation of generating a positive return. Historically, over longer periods of time, this strategy has helped many investors achieve their desired goals. While...

In 1999, Bill Gates wrote, “How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose.” Companies looking to be successful in the future should heed these words when making decisions about implementing...

Sending a child off to college is a major milestone for any family, whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or close friend. It’s an exciting time, filled with anticipation and perhaps a bit of trepidation. There’s so much to do, and...

Equity and bond markets began the second quarter of 2024 with a rough start, thanks to the Federal Reserve’s decision not to reduce interest rates due to stubbornly high inflation rates. However, during the quarter, strong performances...

Whether someone has $50,000 or $5,000,000 to invest, there are several investment pitfalls that any investor can fall into. One of our goals as financial professionals is to help clients avoid these pitfalls, which could be very costly...

Everyone saving for retirement knows being proactive is very important. Having healthy retirement savings can help you live comfortably in your golden years. As stewards of our clients’ wealth, we get great satisfaction helping parents...

The first quarter of 2024 continued to reward investors who stayed the course and enjoyed strong returns in 2023 as the momentum of 2023’s year-end rally took another step forward. Both equity and bond markets performed well after the...

Communication and planning have always been essential when attempting to transfer wealth efficiently. Tax planning can also play a significant role for larger estates. Currently, the federal estate tax laws are very generous, however,...

Income tax is a large revenue source for the United States government. While tax rates have changed many times, since the 1860’s, the United States has used a “progressive” tax code.  A progressive tax code...

2023 is in the books and the last quarter left investors looking forward to a bright and happy new year. Historically, equities typically have advanced in the fourth quarter, and we can now add 2023 to that statistic. We entered the...

In 1964, Paul McCartney and John Lennon of the Beatles co-wrote the hit song “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” but, could it bring you happiness? In 2010, Princeton University conducted a study which found that day-to-day...

One of our main goals as holistic financial professionals is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing...

There are numerous investment philosophies, but at the end of the day, almost all investors have a common goal – to have their money work for them and increase their assets.As financial professionals, our goal is to partner with...

For the last several months, talk of a recession has been making news headlines. Analysts and investors have been speculating if, when, and how bad of a recession the U.S. could experience. News sources have resembled Paul Revere...

The first quarter of 2023 had investors sitting on the edge of their seats as the equity markets took them for a bumpy ride. In the end, the quarter did close on a good note, with U.S. stocks having a late quarter comeback following...

Read the financial news today and it’s highly likely you’ll see the term “volatility” in at least several articles. While market volatility is a normal part of the investing experience, ever since the pandemic...

Helpful Information for Filing 2022 Income Taxes and Proactive Tax Planning for 2023

It’s probably a fair assumption to say that most investors are happy 2022 is in the books.  After enjoying the longest bull market in history, from after the financial crisis in 2009 to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic...

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! We hope that you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season. We ­­look forward to what this new year has to offer.2022 was rough for investors, with many of the year’s events...

“May you live in interesting times,” is an expression where someone ironically wishes an “interesting” time to whomever they are speaking with. Although it may seem innocuous it’s really an insult...

One of our main goals as holistic financial professionals is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing...

Like many other savers and investors, you may be worried that we are headed toward more challenging economic times.   Successful savers and investors are usually more prepared to handle difficult financial periods because...

The first half of 2022 has been a nightmare for even the most seasoned of investors. When looking back, from the March 2020 lows until January 2022, investors were treated to a 21-month bull market that saw equity markets more than...

Market Downturns, Volatility, Investing, Investors, Risk Tolerance, Time Horizon, Financial Planning, Retirement Planning

One of our main goals as holistic financial professionals is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing...

Interest rates play a crucial role in the American economic system. They influence the return on savings, the costs of borrowing and can have a bearing on the direction of many investments. The direction of interest rates is also known...

Every investor normally has personal goals in mind that they would like to achieve. Although most non-retired adults have some savings, only 36% say their nest egg is “on track,” according to the Federal Reserve. Sometimes,...

In the first half of 2021, investors welcomed a new administration in the United States of America, saw the reopening of many countries, experienced volatility in equity markets and ended a second quarter that produced many new highs....

Market volatility is a part of the investment experience and seasoned investors understand that acting emotionally can be more harmful than helpful. It is always appropriate to understand and prepare for market volatility and downturns...

In the beginning, there were no income taxes or federal government. Newly organized individual colonies made ends meet by taxing a variety of things other than income, such as occupational taxes and excise taxes on specific goods....

What a difference a year makes. The first quarter of 2021 included the one-year anniversary from the March 2020 equity market’s bottom. For the first quarter of 2021, equity markets encountered volatility but still created...

It is extremely important that we all take our retirement into our own hands. The concept of not preparing and relying on a government-sponsored retirement might not be the best plan. Financial woes combined with the fact that the U.S....

Helpful Information for Filing 2020 Income Taxes and Proactive Tax Planning for 2021 Tax planning should always be a key focus when reviewing your personal financial situation. One of our goals as financial professionals is to point...

You may have heard the news about stocks for certain companies suddenly ballooning, quickly going from lunch money prices to several hundred dollars a share. In one case, the shares rose over 1700% since December 2020.1 So, what...

There are many years that history could easily forget, but 2020 certainly will not be among them. The past year challenged us in more ways than we were prepared for and the thoughts of a “Happy New Year” seemed to be more...

Welcome to 2021! We hope that you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season. Last year presented some of the most challenging times for everyone and we are hoping that a new year will bring better results. We appreciate the...

One of our main goals as holistic financial professionals is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing...

Interest rates are important to investors and they are currently at or near all-time lows. At this past June’s Federal Reserve meeting, interest rates were kept at a range of 0%-0.25% and it was indicated that they will remain...

After a sharp waterfall drop in March, major equity markets advanced strong in the second quarter. Following the Dow Jones Industrial Average's (DJIA) worst first quarter ever, the index posted its best second quarter performance...

On December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was signed into law. This new legislation made major changes to a number of tax rules that govern retirement savings. Many of these changes...

It is extremely important that we all take our retirement into our own hands. The concept of not preparing and relying on a government-sponsored retirement might not be the best plan. Financial woes combined with the fact that the U.S....

No one expected the longest bull market in history to see its demise brought on by a virus. While U.S. equity markets were able to withstand a trade war with China, a presidential impeachment, the potential for a global recession and...

After an 11-year bull market, the longest in history, equity markets have entered into bear market territory. A bear market is defined as a downward move of 20% from a recent high and as of today all three major US indexes (DJIA, S&P...

The last few days of February created confusing and turbulent times for investors. The rough stock market fluctuations created a rollercoaster-type of ride that has attracted almost every media outlet. During this time period, the S&P...

Investors have now experienced their first disruption of the year: The Coronavirus. The investing experience is no stranger to unexpected surprises and on Monday, February 24th, all three major equity indexes fell over 3%. The -3.35%...

Tax planning should always be a key focus when reviewing your personal financial situation. One of our goals as financial professionals is to point out as many tax savings opportunities and strategies as possible for our clients. This...

As we look back and reflect on what was predicted by many to be a year of worry and concern, equity markets advanced heavily in 2019 and investors were rewarded. The final month of the year brought several new highs for both the S&P...

One of our main goals as holistic financial advisors is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing tax...

After some concerns and declines during the summer, major equity markets showed advances in the month of September and finished positive for the third quarter of 2019. The S&P 500 ended the month about 1.7% higher, and up by 1.2% for...

Retirement! Most Americans get excited about the day they no longer have to go to work to earn an income. No more bosses, no more meetings to attend, no more schedules to keep, no more stress that even the best of jobs can create....

During volatile times, many investors get agitated and begin to question their fundamental investment decisions and choices. This is especially true for those investors who monitor their portfolios daily and can be tempted to pull out...

The first half of 2019 brought very strong results for financial markets. Both equity and bond investors saw positive results leaving investors in a happy mood. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) enjoyed its largest June gain...

The House of Representatives passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act on May 23. The next step is to pass through the Senate and be signed by the President. With strong bipartisan support and the...

During the first three months of 2019, investors had a lot to cheer about as U. S. equity markets turned in their best quarterly gains in nearly a decade. This helped many of the major indexes to recoup a good portion of the losses...

Tax planning should always be a key focus when reviewing your personal financial situation. One of our goals as financial professionals is to point out as many tax savings opportunities and strategies as possible for our clients. This...