Monthly Market Insights | August 2022

View Matt’s Monthly Market Insights on YouTube Here US Markets Stocks posted big gains in July, erasing some first-half losses. Investors attitude was encouraged by potential lowered inflation and recession worries and a better-than-expected start to the second quarter earnings season. The Nasdaq Composite lead the indices gaining 12.35% while the Standard & Poors 500…

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5 Empowering Investment Strategies for Women

On International Women’s Day this year, we had the honor of speaking to a group of professional women about financial planning strategies they can implement today. We wanted to share with everyone an overview of what we covered as so many could benefit from taking these simple strategies. Think about your life as it is…

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There’s Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2021

Even though tax filing season is well under way, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2021. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2021 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on or before December 31, 2021). For most taxpayers,…

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What Is My Tax Bracket for the 2022 Tax Year?

It’s never too early to start looking at your tax obligations for the coming tax season. The information in this article is for the 2022 tax year, which most taxpayers will file in 2023. The seven 2022 tax rates themselves didn’t change (they are the same as those in effect for the 2021 tax year);…

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Year-End Tax Tips for 2021

As we wrap up 2021, it’s important to take a closer look at your tax and financial plans. This year likely brought up questions that significantly impact your personal and financial situation. Now is the time to work on your current tax strategies to make sure they are still meeting your needs and take any last-minute steps that could save you…

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Year-End Charitable Giving

With the holiday season upon us and the end of the year approaching, we pause to give thanks for our blessings and the people in our lives. It is also a time when charitable giving often comes to mind. The tax benefits associated with charitable giving could potentially enhance your ability to give and should…

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RMD Roundup: A Few Key Updates About Required Minimum Distributions

As we approach the end of 2021, now might be a good time to take a closer look at a few developments surrounding required minimum distributions (RMDs). What Are RMDs? Once you reach age 72, you are required to take minimum distributions from your traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans. (RMDs are not required…

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The Social Security Administration Announces 2022 Cost-of-Living Adjustment

On October 13, 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) officially announced that Social Security recipients will receive a 5.9 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2022, the largest increase in four decades. This adjustment will begin with benefits payable to more than 64 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2022. Additionally, increased payments to more than…

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Q3 2021 Stock Market Commentary

Market volatility is back in a big way. In our last report, we noted that the market was “climbing a wall of worry” as the market just seemed to go up and up and up despite pockets of bad news here and there. Late in the quarter, however, that unmitigated move higher finally hit a roadblock…

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Medicare Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 15th. What Does That Mean For Me?

Medicare’s open enrollment period happens once a year between October 15 and December 7. During this time, current Medicare beneficiaries have the option to adjust their coverage for the coming year. This can be a useful option for those who may have recently changed medication, underutilized their current coverage or found they could use additional…

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