Insights

Estate Planning Strategies to Minimize Taxes

Watch this webinar hosted by Carson’s Ryan Yamada, Senior Wealth Planner, and Tom Fridrich, Senior Wealth Planner, as they dive into estate planning strategies to minimize taxes.

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Market Commentary: S&P 500 Rallies 6.5%, Lifting Market Above Bear Level

The S&P 500 spent only a short time below the 20%-decline threshold, before jumping back above it last week. U.S. large-cap stocks rallied 6.5% based on optimism that inflationary pressures are starting to respond to higher interest rates.

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Market Commentary: Fed Raises Rates by 0.75%, Market Moves Into Bear Territory

The S&P 500 dropped 5.7% last week and is now 22.3% off its peak. This decline pushed the index of large-cap U.S. stocks into a bear market, which is defined as a 20% or greater drop from its peak. Volatility remained elevated, and the S&P 500 has now moved by 1% or more 60 times this year.

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Special Market Commentary: S&P 500 Slips Into a Bear Market. Now What?

Fueled by inflation readings that have remained stubbornly elevated, the stock market, measured as the S&P 500 Index, entered bear market territory at market close on June 13, 2022.  A bear market represents a decline in equity values by more than 20%.

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Tips to Help You Stay Strong During Market Volatility

It’s almost impossible not to feel anxious at the dips and dives the stock market has been taking recently, compounded by relentless inflation-focused headlines. That’s why you might be surprised to learn there’s a lot of positive news to be had, despite the market uncertainty. 

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Market Volatility Terms to Know

The financial world is full of industry jargon and unfamiliar language that the average consumer may struggle to understand. This can be especially distressing during times of volatility, when we’re all grappling for answers.

In this guide, we’ve broken down some of the most common phrases you might be hearing and reading to help you understand what’s really being said.

Download the checklist today to get started.

 

529s, Roth IRAs and Other Strategies for Your College Savings Plan

By Craig Lemoine, Director of Consumer Investment Research   I often find college savings at the top of my pile of financial stressors. Unless I find a money tree in my backyard, my oldest child is going to turn 18 well before I retire. We all have different values surrounding the education of our children or grandchildren. Some of us want to pay as much of our children’s college costs as we can. Others may believe in the power of being self-made, while some families fall in between. I proudly fall in the middle. College costs continued to rise for...read the full article

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Market Commentary: Inflation Pressures Remain High, S&P Dips Again

The S&P 500 dropped 5.1% last week as investors digested new inflation data released on Friday. May’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed a reacceleration of inflation after a brief reprieve in April. Headline CPI increased 8.6%, which is the fastest pace since December 1981. The primary drivers of inflation were energy and food prices. Gasoline prices increased 4.1% in May, a big reversal from the 6% decline in April. Food prices, primarily from grocery store spending, climbed 1.4%.

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Where is the Money Tree? How to Teach Kids About Money, Credit Cards, Saving, Investing, Venmo and More

Craig Lemoine, Director of Consumer Investment Research      Ask kids what they think money is, and you get some interesting responses.  Over the last month, I asked my friends, family and neighbors if I could pose a question to their children about money. Their answers covered it all – insightful, surprisingly robust and hysterical.  Ellie (4): “Cash. It can pay for stuff, like Pop Tarts.” Kate (6): “It’s how you pay for what you want.”  Lily (6): “Money is something that you can use. It can really help you get something important or things you really wanted. If you...read the full article

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Market Commentary: Positive Jobs Report Raises Hopes, but Stocks and Bonds Dip

The S&P 500 dropped 1.2% last week as a strong employment report was a little “too good” and raised concerns of more interest rate hikes in the future. The U.S. economy added 390,000 jobs in May, based on the establishment survey. Job growth is slowing, but it remains well above the level required to provide jobs for new workers entering the labor force for the first time.

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