BlogMeans Wealth Insights
CARES Act: RMDs, Charitable Giving, & IRA Contributions
Last week Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a $2,000,000,000,000 (two trillion) dollar stimulus package. National news outlets have covered the most well-known benefits; taxpayer payments, tax filing deadline delays and modified COVID-19 related sick time. Additional, less known benefits like the 2020 “RMD Holiday”, updated … Continued
What’s Next?
I always enjoy writing with good news. I have some for you today. As I write this, the S&P is up roughly 32% from its lows in March. We are only down a “mere” 13% from its all-time highs. It seems like a long way to go to get back … Continued
Why Do the Markets Do Well When the Economy Isn’t?
The last few days notwithstanding, the stock market has staged a significant recovery from the market lows we saw in late March. While off its all-time high reached in February, the S&P 500 stands at a level that was first reached in the last quarter of 2019. Yet the economy … Continued
Preserving the Family Camp, Cottage, or Lake House
This month, we teamed up with Meredith Maller from the law firm Eaton Peabody to provide you with information on an estate planning topic we often discuss with clients. During this difficult time, many families seek refuge at their camp, cottage, or lake house. These retreats serve as safe havens … Continued
Speculation is Not a Plan
With what feels like more headline-worthy events than one can count, 2020 certainly has been a year to remember. As we look toward the fall, it seems that the drama of 2020 will only continue as we face an upcoming presidential election coupled with the threat of a new spike … Continued
Presidential Election & the Stock Market: What History Tells Us
By: Zachary Means, CEO Source: DFA Funds It was election day 2016. I’ll never forget watching the news stations read off which candidate, Clinton or Trump, won each state. Massachusetts went to Clinton. Florida went to Trump. It was neck and neck. I flipped from one major news network to … Continued
Year-End Giving
As the holiday season and end of the year approach, many think about meaningful ways to give. While the primary purpose of giving is to provide support to charities and those in need, there are also some significant tax benefits. Here are a few strategies to consider as you think … Continued
Perspectives 2020/2021
Check out our Year-End Booklet, Perspectives! Click to view.
The Odds
By: Zachary Means, CEO “The only value of stock forecasters is to make fortune-tellers look good.” – Warren Buffett. Every year, top firms, analysts, and economists provide projections on the markets’ direction. They offer a year-end price target, indicating where they expect the markets to end the year. “We are … Continued
7 Questions to Ask Your Accountant This Tax Season
The term “tax season” might make you think about the dreaded task of collecting W-2s, 1099s, donation receipts, mortgage interest statements, and all the other documents needed to complete your tax return. Tax season certainly involves all of that, but it also can be a great opportunity to work with your … Continued
Investing at All-Time Highs
“I have some extra cash. What should I do with it?” Or, “I don’t want to invest right now. The market is too high. A correction is coming.” As advisors, we’ve heard questions and statements like this a lot lately. With historically low interest rates, most people recognize that it … Continued
Estate Planning 101
By: Sarah Ranger and Rachel Trafton, Maine Elder Law Firm As you know, we strongly believe in the importance of estate planning. This month we wanted to share with you some key estate planning information. We hope you enjoy this article, which was provided to us by Sarah Ranger and … Continued
