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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Estate management can be a complex and daunting task for many people, but it’s a critical step in helping your assets get managed and distributed according to your wishes.One popular tool that can be used in estate strategies is...

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Economies move in cycles – always have, always willThe Federal Reserve has been steadily increasing interest rates in an attempt to slow the rate of inflation. Its efforts are yielding some results, although inflation remains...

Friday, April 28, 2023

Fun fact: You probably have dozens of credit scores out there, and each one might be a different number.You’re probably familiar with a credit score, why it’s essential, and what it’s used for, but do you know how...

Monday, April 17, 2023

Discussing personal finances is important for any couple preparing for marriage. However, this topic can be more complicated for those who remarry later in life.If you’re remarrying later in life, one of your goals should be to...

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

As we get older, it’s important that our adult children are prepared to manage any aging-related situations that may arise. This includes everything from having to make medical and financial decisions to determining assisted...

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Thursday, April 6, 2023

What to do if you receive a large inheritance, lawsuit settlement, or lotterywinnings? If you receive a large inheritance, lawsuit settlement, or lottery winnings, it'simportant to take steps to manage the money wisely. Here are some...

Monday, April 3, 2023

Should I aggregate all my financial accounts through my financial advisor’sportal?Whether or not to aggregate all your financial accounts through your financialadvisor's portal depends on your personal preferences and...

Monday, March 20, 2023

Every parent wants the best for their children and strives to prepare them to lead a happy, healthy, and successful life. But, despite understanding the importance of financial responsibility, only 28 percent of parents speak to their...

Monday, March 20, 2023

Is learning to Fly Fish on your retirement bucket list? Don’t wait.As retirement approaches, many people start to think about new hobbies andinterests they would like to pursue. For those who love the outdoors and fishing...

Monday, March 6, 2023

Transitioning from Private Health Insurance Plans to MedicareAs you approach retirement age, you may be anticipating transitioning from your private insurance to Medicare, which is a federal health insurance program that provides...

Friday, July 16, 2021

LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed is designed to help you navigate the risks and opportunities over the rest of 2021 and beyond. While the speed can be exhilarating as economic growth accelerates, it can also be...

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Mortgage rates are still around all-time lows but they may be headed higher. The 30-year national average mortgage rate hit an all-time low of 2.82% back in February, but with the U.S. economic recovery in full swing, mortgage rates...

Monday, May 24, 2021

When one door closes, another opens—and entrepreneurs who keep this mantra in mind are more likely to remain on top once the world has moved beyond the novel COVID-19 pandemic. What can business owners and other entrepreneurs do...

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

After the April consumer price index (CPI) release that surprised to the upside, indicating consumer prices in some areas of the economy are increasing at a faster pace than many expected, the discussion has shifted to the need for the...

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

For nearly a year, investors have had the late spring/early summer months circled on their calendars for a potential jump in inflation. Base effects from rolling off weak data a year ago held the promise of eye-popping year-over-year...

Monday, May 10, 2021

Dear Valued Investor: As the calendar has turned to May, the popular “Sell in May and Go Away” stock market cliché is getting a lot of airtime. This is the idea that the stock market tends to be weakest between May...

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Fixed income investments have generally played two key roles within a diversified asset allocation—generating a stable income and providing protection during equity market selloffs. While we still think high-quality fixed income...

Monday, May 3, 2021

Small business owners should conduct an annual assessment of their personal finances. Owners of small businesses have much the same concerns as everyone else, except they are personally responsible for the fortunes of their enterprise....

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Is it about getting the money back or minimizing the risk of bad outcomes? Although Social Security did not come into existence until 1935, it can trace its roots back to the first national pension program for soldiers that was passed...

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 The United States, and the rest of the world, are looking to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, and business conditions may already have put the pandemic in the rear-view mirror—at least according to the...

Monday, April 5, 2021

April 1, 2021 “The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.” Peter Lynch They say April showers bring May flowers. Well, after a lot of showers and storms over the past year, flowers are starting...

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Long known as a day for pranks, the April Fool's holiday has a few possible origins[1] and has been celebrated in many countries for centuries. The holiday is typically marked by the delivery of practical jokes, at the end of which the...

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

An Investment Policy Statement is your guardrail to help keep you on your path When markets near high records, you wonder, “Is this a bubble?” When markets dive, you wonder, “Is this a crash?” Your biggest...

Friday, March 19, 2021

With so many tax provisions tweaked in 2020—from the CARES Act in March to the Consolidated Appropriation Act in December—some taxpayers may find it challenging to get everything together in time to file their taxes by the...

Thursday, March 11, 2021

The economic recovery is gaining steam. In fact, so much so that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) had to raise their U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2021 by more than 3 percentage points...

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Remember, it is never too early to start planning for your future The time to begin planning for your financial future is now. So, when it comes to preparing for retirement, the earlier you start, the better. Here are some steps to...

Friday, March 5, 2021

Getting investment ideas from your news feed? You’re playing ‘shiny object Whack-a-mole’ while trying to get a drink from a firehose. It goes something like this: You get drawn into an investment idea you see on your...

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Coming into 2021, one of our higher-conviction ideas was that we would see rising long-term interest rates in the United States; it’s one of the reasons we recommended suitable investors consider an underweight to interest rate...

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Tax identity theft is when someone steals your Social Security Number, files a tax return with your number, and directs a refund to their own bank account. In other cases, this type of identity theft may involve a scam artist calling...

Thursday, February 25, 2021

In our recent Market Signals video, LPL Financial Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and Equity Strategist Jeff Buchbinder are joined by guest speaker Jason Hoody, Head of Investment Manager Research, to discuss investments made with...

Thursday, February 11, 2021

The recession appears to be behind us in the United States, and the early stages of an economic expansion have been taking shape. There is a growing debate over whether an expanding economy, in conjunction with historic fiscal and...

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Most people who decide to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles do so understanding that there are risks associated with investing, but believing that the potential growth they may realize over time...

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

As of 2018, about 58 million Americans had a 401(k), while around one-third of households owned an individual retirement account (IRA).1, 2 Yet for as commonplace as these retirement accounts can be, the nuances of contributions are a...

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Is Brady or Mahomes better for stocks? Of course, we would not suggest investing based on this game, but with the big game around the corner, let’s talk Super Bowl Indicator. Historically, if a team from the AFC wins the Super...

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

In 2020, the government gave taxpayers an automatic six-month extension due to the coronavirus. Individuals who were affected by the damaging wildfires were also given additional time to meet most tax deadlines. However, in 2021, the...

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

In 2020, the government gave taxpayers an automatic six-month extension due to the coronavirus. Individuals who were affected by the damaging wildfires were also given additional time to meet most tax deadlines. However, in 2021, the...

Thursday, January 28, 2021

“In the short term, the market is a popularity contest. In the long term, the market is a weighing machine.” -Warren Buffett The incredible action from some of the most heavily shorted names has investors everywhere...

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Taking a closer look at whether it might be appropriate for your situation Since it first became available in 2006, many employers have added the Roth 401(k) to their benefit packages as a retirement savings option. A Roth option is...

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

While the 2020 tax year saw some significant changes to filing deadlines due to the effects of the global pandemic, the 2021 tax season seems to be set to be on track with normal filing deadlines. With the pandemic still in sight, it...

Friday, January 15, 2021

New Year's is traditionally the time to review your life and make resolutions for change. In addition to thinking about working out, eating healthy, and meeting personal and professional goals, you should also think about your...

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Well, we can officially say goodbye to 2020. Although there still will be many challenges in 2021, we do see much better times ahead. Just how amazing was it? “2020 will go down in history as the first year to ever be down 30% at...

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Use your best comparison-shopping skills when choosing a financial advisor Many financially successful people are comparison shoppers. If you’re one, you pore over ratings in consumer magazines, read websites for reviews and...

Monday, January 4, 2021

After months of intense debate, the House and Senate voted to pass a second COVID-19 economic stimulus bill and the President has signed it into law.1 At a total cost of $900 billion, this 5,600-page bill[1] contains everything from...

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

2020 has been one of the most unprecedented years in recent history, but some things—like tax contributions and retirement deadlines—don't change much, if at all. And with the uncertainty surrounding just about everything,...

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Tuesday, we released our 2021 market views in Outlook 2021: Powering Forward. We are extremely proud of this report and we can’t wait to hear your feedback! As we explain in Outlook 2021, we anticipate a strong earnings rebound...

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

It’s hard to look ahead to the next year, to 2021, without looking back at 2020. A global pandemic, a massive economic collapse, a bear market, a surprisingly sharp reversal, a hotly contested election where passions ran high,...

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

The holiday season is just a short time away, which means the shopping season is about to be in full swing. Shopping for holiday gifts is stressful but also a little fun, especially when you think about the joy you will bring to those...

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Thanksgiving is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in both the U.S. and Canada with the purpose of celebrating the blessings of the past year. It is known as one of the busiest travel holidays of the year and in the U.S is most...

Thursday, November 19, 2020

The holiday season is just around the corner and many charitable organizations are in desperate need of donations to help provide the vital services needed in the community. You are most often inundated with a number of charitable...

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Tax planners often develop checklists to guide taxpayers toward year-end strategies that might help reduce taxes. Typically, suggestions are grouped into several different categories, such as "Filing Status" or "Employee Matters," for...

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Adjustments for deductions, tax rate schedules and 60 other tax provisions. The Internal Revenue Service announced annual inflation adjustments for the 2021 tax year for more than 60 tax provisions, including standard deductions and...

Friday, November 6, 2020

By the last third of the calendar year, you're likely to have a pretty good idea of what your annual income will be and whether any major expenses or big life changes await you. This can allow you to engage in more robust tax planning,...

Thursday, November 5, 2020

The election is over, but the questions are mounting. We don’t know who will be the next president as of Wednesday morning, but we do know that stocks tend to do well the final two months of an election year. “Once the...

Thursday, October 29, 2020

If you've been wondering how to optimize your finances and ensure your money continues to work for you, a financial professional may be able to help. But the thought of turning over your most sensitive financial information to a...

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

With the election only six days away and earnings season in full swing, stocks have bucked the usual October weakness during election years so far in 2020 (Monday’s losses notwithstanding). The good news is this could continue,...

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Uncle Sam wants your money. He has bills to pay, just like you. And he's been waiting patiently for decades for you to hand over his share of your tax-deferred retirement dollars. He expects some folks to be stubborn about it, so he...

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

With Election Day just under a month away and voting already taking place in many states, it is still anyone’s guess who will win on November 3. With all of the noise surrounding the election, we prefer to focus on the signals...

Friday, October 9, 2020

Many of you already have estate documents, probably executed many years ago. You need an estate attorney to look over your documents every 10 years or so. Here are a dozen points to review. Do you have a will and powers of attorney for...

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Index Performance View expanded table. View expanded table. View expanded table. US and International Equities The S&P 500 Index gave back some gains in September after a strong five-month run, with most sectors finishing in the red....

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Although it's not hard to find doom-and-gloom articles that bemoan many Americans' lack of preparation for retirement, these don't tell the whole story. One in three adults save for retirement outside their 401(k) in a traditional or...

Thursday, September 24, 2020

The more money that you can save when you are working, the easier it should be for you to retire and enjoy your golden years. Unfortunately, Social Security may no longer provide a sufficient income to live on during retirement. To...

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Financial goals are essential. Setting them will help you to obtain the things you want out of life as well as live the lifestyle you desire, both during your working years and in your retirement. But obtaining these goals isn't always...

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

While the direction of the 10-year Treasury yield over the last cycle was decidedly lower, as shown in LPL’s Chart of the Day, there were still six extended periods where it rose at least 0.75%, and in two of those it rose almost...

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Back to school this year will be different. On the one hand, like other years, it marks the end of summer, the arrival of cooler weather, kids hitting the books again, and Labor Day gatherings. But unlike other years, going back to...

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

The S&P 500 Index just closed the door on its best August since 1986, making new all-time highs along the way, while also closing up five months in a row. First things first, make no mistake about it; this is a new bull market. That of...

Friday, August 21, 2020

It’s not simply a matter of working harder; it’s much more about using your non-financial skills and talents in new ways to bring you prosperity and a greater sense of personal satisfaction. Here are five tips to follow...

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

As the COVID-19-related economic weakness that characterized the first half of the year subsides, growth has begun to return as trillions in fiscal stimulus have helped to stabilize consumer spending. Against a backdrop of improving...

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

As election season heats up, we are often presented with questions regarding market returns based on the political party composition of the White House and Congress. In our Election Preview Weekly Market Commentary, we took a closer...

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

When you work for an employer, saving for retirement can be as simple as signing up for a 401(k) plan and making regular contributions, but when you own your own business, preparing for retirement can be more challenging. While pouring...

Thursday, August 6, 2020

The battle versus COVID-19 continues. The spread in some of the recent hotspots like California and Florida is slowing, while states in the Northeast and Midwest are now experiencing increases in cases. According to the World Health...

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

This isn’t like any recession we’ve ever seen, as it was sparked by a horrible pandemic and happened because people were told to stay inside. The impact was the worst contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) last quarter...

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

“An object in motion tends to remain in motion along a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force.” Sir Isaac Newton Last September, we noted that gold had many structural reasons to soar. Well, soar it has,...

Thursday, July 23, 2020

At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses while at the same time looking after the needs...

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

AT THE MIDPOINT of 2020, we’re mindful that it’s been an extremely challenging year so far in the United States and around the globe. We’re in the midst of a pandemic that continues to impact all of us, our...

Friday, July 10, 2020

New guidelines for retirement loans and distributions due to COVID-19 On June 19, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service announced new guidelines to help those affected by COVID-19 gain more access to retirement plan distributions and...

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

It’s certainly been a wild ride for stocks in 2020. Barely past the halfway point, the year has already brought the worst pandemic to hit the US in over 100 years, an unprecedented government-induced recession as much of the...

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

What a quarter the second quarter was, with the S&P 500 Index adding 20.0%, for the best quarter since 1998 and the best second quarter since 1938. Of course, stocks fell 20% in the first quarter, so what we really have is a bad case...

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

When it comes to retirement plans, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for how to invest. While there are some basic strategies everyone should follow, it’s important to keep in mind retirement plans will vary, depending on...

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Market Blog The US economy has made impressive progress in recent weeks. As the economy re-opens, the way we assess the recovery has changed. In March and April, we were looking for evidence that growth in COVID-19 cases was...

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

By investing for retirement through your employer-sponsored plan, you are helping to manage a critically important financial risk: the chance that you will outlive your money. But choosing to participate is just one step in your...

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

2020 In Charts Posted by lplresearch Market Blog 2020 is only five months old, but in many ways it is one of the most historic years we’ve ever seen. “2020 went from moving along nicely, to seeing the worst recession in a...

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Let's say that at the age of 25, you earned $35,000. If your salary increased at the average historical rate, you'd have earned nearly $2 million in total by the time you were 65.1,2 That might sound like a lot -- until you begin...

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Strategies for saving in your 50s Many retirees today are redefining the “golden years.” Forget about endless days of leisure. Retirees seek adventure, travel, and new business pursuits. While these changes may redefine...

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

The incredible rally off the March 23 lows continues for equities, with the S&P 500 Index now up more than 32% in 40 trading days. As impressive as the rally has been, we do have some near-term concerns, as we discussed in Downside...

Thursday, May 14, 2020

How resourceful can you be during your retirement? Determining where your retirement money will come from is an integral part of planning for retirement. Most people draw on three main sources of income: Social Security,...

Friday, May 8, 2020

Retirement Planning: The Basics You may have a very idealistic vision of retirement — doing all of the things that you never seem to have time to do now. But how do you pursue that vision? Social Security may be around when you...

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Over the past couple of weeks, we have thankfully witnessed new cases of COVID-19 in the US trending lower. Increasingly, we are also seeing governors implementing plans to re-open their state economies in phases. If the US economy...

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

If you're like many workers who have recently transitioned to a home office until the coronavirus crisis passes, you may be struggling to stay as productive as you once were. Sharing your space with family members, often while lacking...

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

These are challenging times, and this week may be the toughest as we wait for COVID-19 to reach its peak in the United States. As the war against COVID-19 wages on, we continue to be inspired by the tremendous bravery shown by...

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

We continue to follow our Road to Recovery Playbook for help determining where the market is in its bottoming process. Today we are making two changes. The first is to Signal #1, which we upgraded from “monitoring daily” to...

Monday, April 13, 2020

Public health officials consistently promote hand-washing as a way for people to protect themselves from the COVID-19 coronavirus. However, this virus can live on metal and plastic for days, so simply adjusting your eyeglasses with...

Thursday, April 9, 2020

In late March 2020, as the number of novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. surged past 100,000, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law.1 The CARES Act provides around $2.2 trillion in aid to...

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

After recording two double-digit drops in equity prices over the last three trading days, the global pandemic of COVID-19 has sent world equity markets into bear market territory. The result is a cumulative 30% drop in the S&P 500...

Monday, March 30, 2020

The United States has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country, and in an attempt to stop the spread of this disease, states have closed schools and businesses throughout the country. These unprecedented shutdowns have...

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Stocks trying to add to huge gains. Futures are indicating a flat to slightly positive open as stocks attempt to add to historic gains from Tuesday on optimism surrounding eventual passage of the fiscal stimulus plan in the Senate. The...

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Scammers, fraudsters, and other criminals are taking advantage of rapidly changing data and facts associated with COVID-19, both in the workplace and in our homes. Government agencies, corporations, and news outlets continue to warn...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Keeping your cool can be hard to do when the market goes on one of its periodic roller-coaster rides. It's useful to have strategies in place that prepare you both financially and psychologically to handle market volatility. Here are...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The market volatility continues, as the S&P 500 Index has closed either up or down 4% or more for a record 7 consecutive days. With the S&P 500 Index down 30% from the highs, it has officially moved into a bear market. Yesterday, we...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

With the rapid spreading of COVID-19, and more and more people either on self-quarantine or practicing social distancing, many of us are working from home. While working from home definitely has its perks – no commute! –...

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

On Saint Patrick’s Day, towns hold festive parades, people head to restaurants to dine on Irish fare, children pinch each other if they don’t wear green, and everything from beers to milkshakes turn the color of shamrocks....

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

529 plans can be a great way to save for college, but they're not the only way. When you're investing for a major goal like education, it makes sense to be familiar with all of your options. Mutual funds Mutual funds are an option to...

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Many clients may fastidiously plan the path they want their assets to take, but not give their beneficiary information the attention it needs and deserves. Designating the best beneficiaries is essential for proper asset planning, and...

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

The global equity weakness continued yesterday, with consecutive 3% drops for the S&P 500 Index for the first time since August 2015. It might be hard to believe, but exactly one week ago today the S&P 500 was making a new all-time...

Friday, February 21, 2020

Many adults are finding that their aging parents are in need of health care assistance. Luckily, there are many options available today to help your parents grow old gracefully, either in their own home or in a facility, and several...

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

The recent news that technology giant Apple would miss its fourth quarter 2020 revenue targets has understandably increased investor anxiety surrounding the potential economic impact of the coronavirus (now called COVID-19). Lost in...

Thursday, November 28, 2019

"These 7 Social Security myths just aren’t true, no matter how often you hear them" Some assumptions about Social Security are simply not correct. This article, written by Devon Carrol of Texarkana Texas, addresses some common...

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Keep Your Financial Reset Button Nearby! You may feel you have your finances in order and then WHAM some big life event happens and throws you off course or you simply arrive at a feeling of financial doubt and disarray. It could be...

Monday, January 7, 2019

How do you celebrate your financial success? There are important achievements in our lives we recognize with celebration. However, when it comes to celebrating our financial successes, we often don’t give it much celebration or...

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

As a financial advisor of more than 35 years, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the strange tragedy that takes place when many people encounter a financial windfall - what we term “sudden money”. When it comes...

Monday, August 18, 2014

A trust is a legal entity that is central to a three-part agreement in which an individual — the trust’s "grantor" — transfers the legal title to an asset to that trust for the purpose of benefiting one or more beneficiaries. The trust...

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Although the thought may not be pleasant, you may someday face a sudden health crisis that leaves you unable to make your own medical decisions. Fortunately, there is a legal means, known as an advance directive, to address this...

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Investors often concentrate on accumulating assets, but how much time and energy is spent on preserving those hard-earned assets for future generations? Not nearly enough. Have you considered any of the following strategies to help...

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Planning for the care of parents has always been a part of the work that I do for clients. When I saw this today it touched my heart, reaffirming and crystallizing the importance of this part of my job. Posted by a friend of mine on...

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Beginning in September of 2014, the Social Security Administration will resume sending paper Social Security Benefit Statements in the mail. Paper statements will be mailed to workers at ages 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 and older....