via GIPHY Big sigh of relief! The White House has just released the $1.75 trillion framework for its social and climate-related Build Back Better plan and clients will be relieved to hear that, as of now, it does not contain the disruptive tax, retirement or estate tax measures that they may have been fearing. […]
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Women Edge Out Men When It Comes To Investment Returns
Fidelity’s 2021 Women and Investing Study shows that women edged out men when it comes to investment returns over the last decade. After analyzing over 5 million customer accounts from 2011 to 2020, Fidelity calculated that women achieved slightly better results than men (0.4% higher returns per year) due to their disciplined and consistent investment approach. That’s […]
Quote Of The Week: Is The S&P 500 Index Giving You The Diversification You Need?
“Like most indexes, the S&P 500 is weighted by capitalization: The bigger the market cap a company has, the more its influence on the performance of the index. Any cap-weighted index fund is a heavy bet on larger companies. Lately, that bet has become extremely heavy because a few stocks have become gigantic. All by themselves, Alphabet (GOOGL), […]
3 Reasons To Give International Equities Another Look
Most investors have a serious case of home country bias. That means that, all things being equal, they prefer to invest in companies based in their own backyard and tend to underweight companies based overseas. That’s true of America investors as well as those in other countries. Everyone likes rooting for the home team. If […]
3rd Quarter Market Commentary
By Donald Calcagni, CFP®, MST, Chief Investment Officer, Mercer Advisors Despite posting strong returns over the summer, global equity markets began to lose steam by the latter half of September. Persistent inflation, debt-riddled Chinese real estate companies, rising interest rates, prospective tax increases, and the startling prospect of a first-ever U.S. debt default all weighed heavily […]
Worries Abound, But Stocks Notch Sixth Straight Quarter Of Gains In 3rd Quarter
Stocks were weighed down in September by uncertainties over COVID, the debt ceiling, future tax policy, inflation and interest rates, causing them to pull back from early September highs. The large-cap S&P 500 stock index ended down for the month of September, marking the benchmark’s most challenging month since March 2020. The S&P 500 index […]
Leaving Your Job? Take Good Care Of Even The Smallest Retirement Accounts
Most small 401(k) retirement accounts don’t get the respect they deserve. The majority of employees, especially the younger ones, cash out their small 401(k) accounts when they leave their employer for a new job elsewhere. Eight out of ten small accounts (defined as those with balances under $1,000) are cashed out. Over 60% of balances […]
Retiring? Avoid This Big 401(k) Rollover Mistake
Three-quarters of retirees “de-risked” their portfolio by reducing stock exposure when they quit working and rolled their workplace 401(k)s to an IRA. The de-risking dilemma That may seem like a good idea. But unfortunately, in some investment environments, making big, sudden changes to your fund mix at retirement can be a major mistake, according to […]
5 Things To Know About The New Infrastructure Bill
It’s not law yet, but the much anticipated $1 trillion infrastructure package is moving along through Congress. The Senate passed the bill last week. Now it goes to the House. Here’s a quick summary: Why is the Infrastructure bill important? First of all, while the details are still being worked out, the legislation has rare […]
Is Inflation Bad? Not Always
Is inflation always a negative? Mari was interviewed by journalist Kimberly Lankford for an article on Yahoo Finance about how inflation can actually be a plus for your finances. Inflation can lead to higher Social Security payouts, for example, and can push up short-term interest rates, like those that govern how much you can earn on your bank and […]
About Mari Adam, CFP®
Mari Adam, Certified Financial Planner™ has helped hundreds of individuals and families build wealth and plan for a more secure financial future for over 30 years. Her advice has appeared in publications such as Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Money Magazine, Business Week, and CBS MarketWatch.
