When inflation rears its head, it makes its presence known in a very visible (and negative) way. And while the causes and effects of inflation are very clear, the cure can seem much less so. Here’s why the cure to inflation can be pretty painful, too.

It’s no mystery that stocks have run into turbulence in early 2022, but have you noticed that on some days when unexpectedly positive economic data was released that the stock market was down? That’s because good news means that it’s time for stimulus to end. Keep reading to learn what this means for stocks.

There are three big mistakes that homebuyers tend to make, and this is even more pronounced when housing market conditions favor sellers. So what’s the good news? In this article, you can learn how to reliably avoid each of them with the right plan in place.

As the weather takes a turn for the cold, it’s not unexpected to see leaves of all colors drop to the ground. Fittingly, that can be a subtle reminder to complete financial tasks before our own “green” falls through our hands and it’s too late to benefit (or avoid problems) after year end. Here are several topics you’ll want to be sure to address.

After landing a new opportunity, it feels so good to take some time to celebrate and run a victory lap before starting that new role. And because things will soon get hectic, it’s important to make sure that your money continues to work as hard as you do, and that you’re not leaving money behind.

Keep reading to learn the top 5 financial topics you’ll want to promptly address.

In the year leading up to an IPO, there is a lot that needs to take place in order for a company (and its stock) to hit the ground running after going public. What many startup employees don’t realize is that they, too, have a lot that they need to take care of related to their stock options to achieve an optimal outcome.

If your company is planning to go public sometime soon, during the next 12-24 months, or recently completed an IPO, here are the top three things you need to be thinking about.

After an economic downturn, it’s not uncommon to see a mismatch of supply and demand as battered sectors of the economy ramp up their operations and rehire workers. That’s why prices of highly sought-after goods and services tend to spike, at least in the short term, as buyers and sellers move towards a more balanced level of capacity. So here we’ll walk through why inflation is a bit of a goldilocks situation in that getting just the right amount of inflation is key in order for most people to benefit from its effects.

With tax day behind us, many people are now looking ahead to the potential impact of tax reform. Although the outcome is far from clear at this point, our emotional response says a lot about our current financial situation, and I’ve observed most people reacting by being either upset, or concerned and worried. Keep reading to learn about three items to consider as tax reform progresses (or not) during 2021.

Acquisition can be one of the few opportunities for employees to cash out their equity without leaving anything on the table, but from a practical standpoint it’s rarely that simple. That’s why if your employer is getting acquired, you’ll want to avoid several common mistakes we’ve outlined below to make the most of a windfall from your stock options, restricted stock, or restricted stock units (RSUs)

For anyone who has considered purchasing a home recently, the behavior of market participants (some of them, at least) has brought back painful memories of the overheated housing market collapse that preceded a collapse during the Great Recession in 2008-2009. That’s why if you’re looking to buying a house, you’ll want to consider these three tips to stay level headed with the biggest purchase decision of your life.

It’s no mystery that there has been a supply and demand imbalance for single family homes during the last year as many households contemplated urban flight (or suburban expansion), but this is only one of the factors that has caused home prices to surge so quickly. So then, what is the cause? Put simply, it’s about interest rates.

Recently, there has been chatter that rising interest rates are the culprit for turbulence among high growth stocks which saw huge gains in 2020. This follows a recent selloff in tech stocks which coincided with a fairly rapid rise in the 10-year US treasury rate. Here’s why the two are connected, and this is especially true among the fastest growing firms.

If the last year reminded me of anything valuable, it’s that we get our energy from having something to look forward to, and that life just can’t wait. Surely, we’re not out of the tunnel yet, but we do see a light at the end. And seeing that light might make you start to think about what you want to make happen in 2021. That’s why it’s time to consider what financial goals you’d like to achieve in 2021.

Among all the topics that come up in discussion with clients, few register higher on the pain-meter than taxes, but it doesn’t have to be that way (how we feel, and what we do about it). Much of this is because we don’t feel like we have a choice when it comes to taxes, but that is only partly true and loses sight of three larger factors at play. Keep reading to learn what you can do to stay focused on the right issues.

As the year comes to a close and work starts to reach a lull there is often some down time in December, and this is especially likely given limited travel plans this season. It also happens to be an ideal time to tend to painless (but time-sensitive) financial topics that many of us have been putting off. Here are 4 top items you should consider before year end.

Recently, I remembered the first time I hosted Thanksgiving. While most things went well, an unexpected complication occurred…The pop-up timer misfired. This part of the meal arrived half-baked, but was ultimately saved after receiving expert advice. So, what does this have to do with financial planning? There are actually some strong parallels.

Months after lockdowns ended, we still don’t know which small businesses will survive in the long-run. Why? Government stimulus. Sadly, there were many small businesses that did not survive the initial lockdown. However, my belief was (and remains) that this initial test would not be indicative of which would be able to survive once this was all over. When (and how many) customers would return was (and remains) the real test.

2020 has been a tumultuous year for all aspects of our lives, yet as we enter Q4 there remains a substantial amount of “unfinished business” as it relates to the economy. Too often, issues come to a head, and when they aren’t dealt with people tend to forget about them until severe (and preventable) consequences reappear. This is among the reasons that markets tend to go up like an escalator, but down like an elevator. Read more about 3 big economic trends to follow in fall 2020.

I’m frequently asked, “what percent of your portfolio is allowable in terms of current or former employer stock?” While that’s a good question to ask, I think it’s easier to think about it this way: If you were going to construct a portfolio from scratch, would you own this much of this one company? For most people, the answer is probably not. Further review can be helpful to mitigate concentration risk, and to avoid unintended tax consequences.

Tax mistakes are the accidental ‘donation’ that nobody wants to make to the government, yet many people who can afford to do so don’t take full advantage of one of the easiest, most reliable ways to reduce their current year tax bill. What’s that? It’s fully contributing to your 401(k) account, and like all low hanging fruit it has an expiration date.