Elections: How Much Do They Matter?


The democratic process of electing our leaders is fundamental to our republic of representative government.    But how much do elections matter?  Well, that depends on what you are asking the question about.    Elections certainly matter in terms of policy changes that can impact international relations, social policy, regulatory policy, as well as economic policy.    However,…

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Using a Trust as an IRA Beneficiary: Does it Make Sense?


One of the more common estate planning mistakes we have seen over the years is the use of a trust as a beneficiary of an IRA account.    This is not to say that such a strategy never makes sense.  However, it rarely does make sense for most investors.   A trust can serve several purposes…

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Delaware Statutory Trust 101: How They Work


The home purchase is one of the biggest investments the average American will make.   Real estate can be expensive and comes with carrying costs to maintain a property.   However, many real estate investors over the years have invested in secondary properties for either personal use, such as a vacation home, or solely as an investment…

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The Value vs Growth Rotation: When Will it Happen?


In the decade ending in 2021, the Russell Growth 1000 Index doubled the performance of the Russell 1000 Value Index.  That partially reversed in 2022 when the Russell Value outperformed the Russell Growth by 22%.  Then in 2023, the Russell Growth index once again outperformed the Russell Value Index by 23%, negating the outperformance of…

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Inherited IRA Beneficiary Rules Clarified


After many years of confusion, the IRS has finally clarified the rules around Inherited IRA’s.   Under the old rules when a non-spouse inherited an IRA, the beneficiary was required to take a distribution every year based upon their life expectancy.  As a result of the SECURE ACT 1.0, which took effect in 2020, several rules…

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Fixed Income Outlook: 2024 & Beyond


Fixed income as an asset class should always be a fixture to some extent in any well-constructed asset allocation strategy.   However, investing in fixed income is not without its own risks.   Bonds can pose various risks.   Among them are: Credit Risk – The risk of the issuer defaulting. Interest Rate Risk – The risk of…

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Do Dividend Payers Outperform?


In 2024, more than 75% of S&P 500 stocks pay a dividend of some amount.  Today the overall weighted dividend yield of the index is about 1.40% annually.    However, the historical yield has been much higher.  A look back at recent decades tells us the following:   Between 1871-1960 the S&P 500 stocks never had…

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Economic and Market Forecasts: What are They Worth?


Yale economist Irving Fisher, October 15th 1929: “Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.”   A trip down memory lane looking at some of the economic predictions of the past can lead to a number of laughs, although not necessarily amusing to those who lived through the events that were so…

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Bitcoin: Currency or Asset?


Over the last decade much has been made of the cryptocurrency space, more specifically Bitcoin.     While some have embraced it, others still shun it as either an asset or a currency.   To date, it is not something we are comfortable investing in.   However, we remain open to the possibility as Bitcoin and other such cryptocurrencies…

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Market Volatility: Friend or Foe?


Market volatility is not something that investors enjoy, as none of us like to see our assets decline, even if it is for just a brief period of time.    However, volatility is inevitable and must be dealt with to be a successful investor.   When investing for the future, most investors use some form of…

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