Market Memo – Planning Article

April 2023 – By Tom Rueger, J.D., CFP^®

A Power of Attorney is an important part of lifetime planning. A Power of Attorney is a document that allows you to choose who will act for you, when they can act for you, and what their decision-making authority will (or will not) be. In a worst-case scenario, if you do not have a Power of Attorney and you are unable to manage your affairs, a court will have to appoint one or more people to act for you, costing time, money, and potential lost opportunity.

Market Minute

March 2023 – By Bob Veres

One might be forgiven for thinking that runs on a bank, and banking failures, are a thing of the Great Depression, not something you encounter in modern times.  One would be wrong, thanks to the highly-publicized failure of a once-obscure institution called Silicon Valley Bank, which collapsed on Friday and was taken over by federal regulators in order to protect the assets of its depositors.  It was the largest failure of a U.S. bank since the 2008 economic crisis.

Market Memo

January 2023 – By Kyle Rohrwasser

I think everyone is happy to put 2022 behind them. 2023 is here but it will come with some new tax law changes. The Secure ACT 2.0 has made major changes to employee benefits, retirement accounts, and the distribution of them. Below are some of the major changes to be aware of in 2023. All are positive to the American employee and can help with future retirement distribution planning.

Market Minute

January 2023 – By Scott Rosenquist, CFA®

The calendar has turned but the issues concerning financial markets remain the same.  The Federal Reserve is on track to continue tightening financial conditions through interest rate increases and reducing the size of its balance sheet which became bloated when it stepped in to support the bond market during the pandemic. Inflation remains above the two percent target that the Federal Reserve continues to defend. Recent gauges of the economic activity show services and manufacturing are in contraction as rate hikes take hold to slow the economy. How much longer will the Fed maintain its restrictive policy stance?