August 2011 Monthly Recap

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Posted on September 2nd, 2011

Extreme Volatility

Volatility turned extreme in equities markets during August. The decline that began in July turned into a roller-coaster as equities saw wild swings from day to day. In a single week, 2 of the Dow’s 11 worst daily point losses in history alternated with 2 of its 11 best days ever. A rally at month’s end helped push the Dow back to just over even for the year…  READ MORE

The Month In Review

  • S&P’s downgrade of U.S. credit rating
  • Eurozone council established
  • Fed commits to low interest rates until 2013
  • Second quarter GDP – 1%
  • Housing prices improved

READ MORE

Eye On The Month Ahead

Key dates and data releases. READ MORE

Could You Handle a Windfall

The odds are that at some point you’ll receive a significant amount of money (inheritance, bonus, insurance, sale of a home or business). Would you be prepared for the financial decisions you might suddenly face? READ MORE

Portability of Basic Exclusion Amount between Spouses

Transfers of property during life or at death are generally subject to federal gift or estate taxes. Each taxpayer can shelter assets from federal gift and estate taxes by the unified credit. READ MORE

The Spousal IRA Rule

Generally, you can contribute up to $5,000 to an IRA in 2011 (more if 50+), as long as you have taxable compensation at least equal to the amount of your IRA contribution. But what if you don’t? READ MORE

401(k) Corner: Fiduciary Guarantee – A false sense of security

There are significant exceptions to the 401(k) warrantees that we have reviewed that render them fairly ineffective in protecting employers/fiduciaries. If an employer wants to rely on a fiduciary warrantee, we highly advise spending a few hundred dollars to discuss the relative merits with an ERISA attorney. A warrantee of questionable depth does not take the place of a qualified provider acting as a fiduciary alongside you.
– Why a Warrantee?
– What does a Warrantee not cover?
– Our take  READ MORE

Seen In The Press

“How to Survive the Stock Market’s Wild Ride” by Sherilyn Nance-Nash, DailyFinance – 8/5/11 (Mark Fissel, CFP®) READ MORE

Education

We congratulate Mark Fissel on his recent CFP® certification. The educational rigor and process show Mark’s commitment to the industry and his clients. Learn more about a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. READ MORE

Selling Your Business

Join us for our monthly Lunch & Learn series which we coined BOSS Workshops: Business Owner Strategic Sessions. Click on www.BOSSworkshops.com for details and more information about our featured speaker!

Our Mission

“To manage our clients’ financial matters in a manner that allows them to focus on their family, their business, and their life.”