2020 Annual Market Recap
2020 will always be remembered as a tumultuous year. When we write out the events that occurred, it’s hard to flesh that against the blistering 18.4% the U.S. stock market 1 returned this year. The pandemic gave us our fastest bear market and the fastest respondent bull market, all in the matter of about a …
Read moreEstate Planning Strategies in a Low-Interest-Rate Environment
The federal government requires the use of certain interest rates (published by the IRS) to value various items used in estate planning, such as an income, annuity, or remainder interest in a trust. The government also has interest rates that a taxpayer may be deemed to use in connection with certain installment sales or intra-family …
Read moreSequence Risk: Preparing to Retire in a Down Market
“You can’t time the market” is an old maxim, but you also might say, “You can’t always time retirement.” Market losses on the front end of retirement could have an outsize effect on the income you receive from your portfolio by reducing the assets available to pursue growth when the market recovers. The risk of …
Read moreCongress Approves New Round of PPP Loans
The latest stimulus bill will provide $284 billion in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for small businesses. Hard hit businesses can apply for a new PPP loan even if they received one previously. Businesses cannot receive more than two. The deadline to apply for new loans is March 31, 2021 and are a granted …
Read more401(K) Plan Part-time Employee Eligibility Requirements
The SECURE Act which passed at the end of 2019 requires 401(k) plans to include long-term, part-time employees beginning January 1, 2021. Please note: The SECURE Act mandate does not apply to 403(b) plans and 457(b) plans, which have their own eligibility rules. Employees who are 21 and older who work less than 1000 hours …
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