Articles
79% of Americans agree they would benefit from having basic financial education and information.
Source: The 2018 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, The National Foundation for Credit Counseling
Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.
Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.
Market Commentary
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of December 2, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of November 25, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of November 18, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | November 11, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of October 28, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of October 21, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of October 14, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of October 7, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | September 30, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of September 23, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of September 16, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of September 9, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of September 3, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of August 26, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | August 19, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of August 12, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | August 5, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | August 5, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | July 29, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | July 29, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of July 22, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | July 22, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | July 22, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | July 15, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | July 15, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | July 8, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | July 8, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | July 1, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | July 1, 2019
- Midyear Outlook 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | June 17, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | June 17, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | June 10, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | June 10, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of June 3, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of June 3, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of May 20, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of May 20, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of May 27, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of May 27, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of May 13, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | May 13, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | May 6, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | May 6, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | April 29, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | April 29, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | Week of April 22, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | April 15, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | April 15, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | April 8, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | March 11, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | March 4, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | February 25, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Feb 19, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | February 19, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | February 11, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of February 4, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | February 4, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Jan 28, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | January 28, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | January 22, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Jan 21, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | January 14, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Jan 14, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Jan 7, 2019
- Weekly Market Commentary | January 7, 2019
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of December 31, 2018
- Weekly Market Commentary | December 31, 2018
- Weekly Market Commentary | December 10, 2018
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Dec 10, 2018
- Weekly Market Commentary | December 3, 2018
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Dec 3, 2018
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Nov 26, 2018
- Weekly Market Commentary | November 26, 2018
- Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of Nov 12, 2018
- Weekly Market Commentary | November 12, 2018
Estates & Trusts
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Estate Planning
Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.
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Living Trusts
A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.
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Avoiding Probate
The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.
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Charitable Giving
To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.
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Controlling the Distribution
If you haven’t taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of your estate’s assets.
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Wealth Replacement Trusts
A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.
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Property Ownership
Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.
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History of the Federal Estate Tax
Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs.
Retirement
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SIMPLE Plans
The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.
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How Much Do I Need to Save?
Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.
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Self-Employed Retirement Plans
Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.
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Retirement Plan Distributions
When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.
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Traditional IRAs
If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.
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401(k) Plans
401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.
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Managing Retirement Plans
Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.
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Roth IRAs
Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.
Tax Planning
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Capital Gain Tax
Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.
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Retirement Plan Limits
IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.
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Required Minimum Distributions
Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.
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Retirement Plan Taxes
With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.
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Withdrawing Before Age 59.5
Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty.
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Tax-Advantaged Investments
Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.
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Tax Strategies for Retirement Plans
Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.
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Tax-Free Investments
It’s important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.
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Mutual Fund Profits
Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.
Investing
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Dividends
It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.
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Growth Stocks vs. Value Stocks
The labels “growth” and “value” reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.
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Mutual Fund Taxes
Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.
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Stock
Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.
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Zero-Coupon Bonds
Zero-coupon bonds represent a type of bond that does not pay interest during the life of the bond.
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Diversification
An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.
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Types of Bonds
Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.
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Stock Indexes
Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.
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Mutual Funds vs. Stocks
The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.
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Mutual Funds
A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.
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Closed-End Funds
With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.
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Mutual Fund Loads
It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.
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Annuities
An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.
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Fixed vs. Variable Annuities
Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.
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Investment Risks
Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.
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Asset Classes
There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.
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Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.
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College Savings Plans
There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.
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Stock and Bond Investing Alternatives
There are other ways to invest in stocks and bonds besides owning individual shares or bonds.
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529 Plans
529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.
Cash Management
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Cash Management Basics
A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.
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Money Market Funds
Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.
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Biweekly Mortgages
Biweekly mortgage payments can have a dramatic effect on the amount of interest homeowners have to pay.
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College Financial Aid
It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.
Portfolio Compass
- Portfolio Compass | February 20, 2019
- Portfolio Compass | January 16, 2019
- Portfolio Compass | December 19, 2018
Client Letters
- Client Letter: Stocks Warm Up In January | February 7, 2019
- Client Letter: "A New Year’s Perspective" by John Lynch
- Client Letter: "Recent Market Volatility" by John Lynch
- Client Letter: "Recapping the Latest Earnings & GDP Reports" | John Lynch