A Banner Year for Annuities July 11, 2022 Financial Planning Andrew Busa, annuities, financial planning, insurance Do you hear that? It’s the sound of annuity salespeople everywhere cashing their bonus checks. Projected annuity sales for 2022 are in the neighborhood of $280 billion. That will surpass the previous all-time high of $265 billion set in 2008. Annuities sales increase when the market is unsettled and interest rates are rising. But are all … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Chart of the Week: Bond Traders Expect Lower Inflation July 11, 2022 Economy and the Markets bond market, Chart of the Week, inflation, recession, TIPS, Treasury bonds, Treasurys Most of us are concerned about how long inflation will remain elevated. But the Fed’s army of Ph.D.s hasn’t had much success trying to forecast its rise or fall. In the absence of a solid model for predicting inflation, I like to keep an eye on the difference between the yields on … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Reverse Mortgages—Can They Be Used for Good? July 11, 2022 Financial Planning age in place, financial planning, home equity, reverse mortgages, tax planning Reverse mortgages have a bad reputation—and not without reason. Tapping into your home’s equity to cover expenses may mean the home will need to be sold by your heirs to repay the loan. It’s not a step to be taken lightly, and for many retirees, it’s not one to be taken at … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Hoping to Pass the Earnings Test July 8, 2022 Economy and the Markets video In today’s Market Takeaway, Portfolio Manager Steve Johnson reviewed what market watchers are hoping to see this earnings season.Watch Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
High-Asset Divorces: Ins and Outs July 7, 2022 Financial Planning Divorce High-asset divorces are complex. Get a head start on unraveling yourself financially from your spouse. Read our post.Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Vanguard’s Mysterious New Fees July 6, 2022 Adviser Fund Update bear market, fee wars, mutual funds, vanguard The SEC "names rule" is getting a refresh after 20 years. It would impact the entire mutual fund industry if adopted.Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
A Long-Term Care Insurance Checkup July 5, 2022 Financial Planning financial planning, insurance, long-term care insurance You buy insurance to protect against big, expensive misfortunes. For example, it’s common to buy homeowners insurance so you won’t be wiped out and left without a roof over your head should disaster strike. Fortunately, many of us will never actually need to tap our home insurance. However, there is one big … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Chart of the Week: Why Home Prices Are So High July 5, 2022 Economy and the Markets Chart of the Week, home prices, housing market, interest rates, Jeff DeMaso, mortgage rates, real estate, supply and demand We often get asked when home prices will stop rising. The short answer: When more houses come onto the market. This week’s chart was inspired by Bill McBride’s Calculated Risk blog—my go-to resource on the housing market. The chart neatly shows the Econ 101 relationship between supply and demand. When supply (the inventory of … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Sizing Up the Recession Debate July 1, 2022 Economy and the Markets video In today's Market Takeaway, Portfolio Manager Steve Johnson examined the two sides of the recession debate.Watch Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
Divorce Checklist & Financial Solutions for High-Net-Worth Marriages June 28, 2022 Financial Planning Divorce Our high-net-worth divorce checklist provides financial solutions and steps to help untangle yourself financially from your spouse.Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Is Robinhood’s Rebound the End of the Crypto Crash? June 28, 2022 Economy and the Markets video In today’s Market Takeaway, Senior Research Analyst Liz Laprade dissected what Robinhood’s stock price spike means for crypto.Watch Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
Chart of the Week: What Follows a 10%-Plus Decline? June 27, 2022 Investing 60/40 approach, bear market, Chart of the Week, diversification, Jeff DeMaso By now, you are probably well aware that stocks have had a rough first half of the year. But most investors are invested in a blend of stocks and bonds—so how have balanced portfolios fared in down markets like this one? Pundits have pronounced the classic balanced portfolio dead for years. (Wall … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right