Married to a Non-U.S. Citizen?
The status of your non-U.S. citizen spouse dictates how you are taxed. Learn more in this week’s Tax Tip.
Will vs. Trust: Is One Better than the Other?
Wills and trusts allow you to distribute your assets at death, but there are differences between these documents. We explain in this week’s Financial Tip.
A Primer on Medicare and Open Enrollment
Managing Associate K.C. Smith, CFP®, and Bil Lako, CFP®, discuss what seniors need to know about Medicare’s Open Enrollment season, which runs from October 15 through December 7. They cover the important deadlines and the options seniors should consider when choosing their plans.
Life Insurance: Filling an Economic Need
Today’s Marietta Daily Journal: Bil Lako CFP® explains while life insurance needs decrease with time, investors may still want it. Read the Article
Designing a Benefit Package for Your Small Business
One way to reward your employees is to provide a benefit package with both traditional and not-so-traditional benefits. Read all about it in this week’s Business Tip.
Medicaid Planning Goals and Strategies
Only the income and assets that are legally available to you are considered when determining Medicaid eligibility. Read more in this week’s Insurance Tip.
Surprised by the Alternative Minimum Tax?
It is complicated to determine when you may be subject to the alternative minimum tax. Learn some common triggers in this week’s Tax Tip.
Earnings Call: A Closer Look at Financial Reports
Earnings are just one factor to consider when evaluating a company’s outlook. Learn more about financial reports. Learn more in this week’s Financial Tip.
Case Study: Life Insurance: Filling an Economic Need
Jim Crone, CLU®, CFS®, joins “Money Talks” to discuss the importance of reviewing life insurance policies, and explores a situation where repositioning an existing life insurance policy was able to create equity in a family’s estate plan.
Market Roundup: Friday’s Rally Not Enough to Counteract Early Week Losses
The markets opened the week with gains as both oil prices and Energy sector shares rose. Stocks traded lower on Tuesday with brands dipping on less-than-optimum quarterly details from Alcoa, who unofficially kicked off earnings season, as well as a downswing in oil. West Texas Intermediate crude oil settled at $50.84 a barrel. Indices closed out Wednesday with mixed results. The Dow and S&P 500 closed in the green while the NASDAQ ended in the red zone for the session. Moves were mixed amid the release of minutes from the September Federal Open Market Committee meeting as well as a dip in crude oil. The bulk of FOMC members voted to keep rates unchanged while three dissented. OPEC boosted output to 33.39 million barrels per day in September, up 220,000 barrels. West Texas Intermediate crude oil settled at $50.18 a barrel. Stocks rebounded up from early session levels to land just slightly lower on Thursday. Meanwhile, crude oil prices climbed despite a jump in reserves. Energy Information Administration data showed inventories rose by 4.9 million barrels in the past week. Department of Labor figures showed initial jobless claims held steady at 246,000 last week, versus expectations of 254,000 new claims. Indices ended the week in positive territory, as a rally among financial shares faded in the wake of stronger-than-expected quarterly results from the likes of Citigroup and Wells Fargo. In a preliminary measure, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index slipped to 87.9 from 91.2 in September. Elsewhere, U.S. retail sales rose by 0.6% versus an expected increase of 0.7%. Excluding cars and energy, sales rose 0.3%, as anticipated.