Insights

How to Finish Strong this Tax Planning Season

Like gardening or working out, tax planning is one of those activities where you get out of it what you put into it. Plenty of us have a weight bench gathering dust in the garage that hasn’t gotten us into any better shape, or a plot in the backyard that just won’t grow anything because we never weed it. Tax planning is similar in the sense that you can put work in on the front end that you’ll reap benefits from later.

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Market Commentary: Stimulus Fuels Retail Sales as Strong Housing Market Faces Hurdles

American consumers put their stimulus checks to work last month. Retail and food service sales rose 5.3% in January, after declining 1.0% in December (Figure 1). Compared to one year ago, sales are 7.4% higher. The strong data resulted from the stimulus checks and declining virus cases. Because of restrictions and risk, the biggest winners were online retailers. Home improvement stores also experienced strong demand as consumers continue to spend extra time at home.

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Figuring Out Who You Are Can Help You With Retirement Planning

By Nick Gertsema, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, AIF®, VP & Wealth Advisor If you were asked to sit down and define who you are, how would you describe yourself? It is not uncommon for someone to tie a substantial portion of their identity and self-worth to their careers. My Twitter bio says that I am a husband, father, wealth advisor, and Z-Man enthusiast. When you think about it, it should not be a surprise that some of us tie our identities to something that we spend 40+ hours a week doing – and that becomes the driving factor in decision-making in...read the full article

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Market Commentary: Despite Initial Worry, Inflation Remains Well Controlled

 U.S. inflation rose 0.3% last month and is now up 1.4% for the year (Figure 1). Investor concern about inflation has increased in recent months against the backdrop of large stimulus packages and hopes of an economic recovery. Pushing back against that concern is a slowly recovering labor market. Initial jobless claims fell 19,000 from the previous week but remained stubbornly close to 800,000. Continuing claims were more than 4.5 million.

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What You Need to Know for the Upcoming Tax Season

Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, and Senior Wealth Planner, Krista Thompson, break down how the right tax planning process can help you during tax season. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

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Market Commentary: Federal Interest Rates Remain Low with No Increases Planned

 The U.S. employment situation remains lackluster. Only 49,000 new jobs were created in January. Unemployment dropped but only because labor force participation fell from 63.4% to 61.4% (Figure 1). As COVID-19 cases have dropped this year, some improvement is expected in coming months. Vaccine distribution remains the most important path toward an improved economy.

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2021 Tax Planning Checklist

While you’re packing up the last of 2020, you’ll want to take advantage of the tax opportunities even a year like this one has to offer. Instead of dropping off a shoebox of receipts and hoping for a return, be intentional about maximizing returns and protecting income.

The CARES Act and other government measures have made this a unique tax year, and our 2021 Tax Planning Checklist can help you plan with confidence. Remember, tax planning, not simply tax preparation, is the way to optimize your financial picture.

Download the checklist today to get started.

 

Tax Tips for Business Owners in a COVID World

Facing everything from empty sales floors to painful staff shortages, entrepreneurs have been uniquely hurt by 2020 and the extent of the damage isn’t fully known yet. A Yelp economic impact report released in September found that almost 100,000 small businesses in the country had closed their doors permanently while many others struggle under the current conditions.

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Market Commentary: Understanding ‘Short Squeezes’ and Last Week’s Intense Market Demands

The prices of a small set of heavily shorted stocks spiked last week as multiple factors conspired to create an intense demand for shares of some companies. The extreme move in prices has created a large gap between the current price and the price targets of even the most optimistic investors.

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How the Biden Administration Could Impact Retirement and Tax Planning

Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, offers insight as our country navigates changes after the inauguration. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

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