The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This almost 900 page behemoth contains hundreds of provisions that effect everything from taxes to the environment. In fact, one summary I read was a concise 80 pages! There are some far reaching aspects...
For the average American, around 70% of their net worth is tied to the value of their home. With this in mind, it is impossible to ignore the health of the housing market when assessing the state of the overall economy. Mortgage rates have tripled over the past three years, which has led to a housing market that is best described as being frozen...
2025 has already been a wild ride so far. What can we expect for the rest of the year? Will the Trump Administration’s policies lead to a market victory, or will March’s tariff tantrum sink the ship? Are international stocks finally going to reverse a decade long trend of underperformance and trounce their domestic counterparts? Will gold’s one shining moment repeat in 2025? These are just a few of the questions investors are asking themselves after a volatile first quarter. How will the answers to these topics play out in this year’s investors’ Final Four? Let’s dive in...
Another good stock market year has come and gone. From a corporate perspective, it was a case of the rich getting richer. The companies dubbed the “Magnificent (Mag) 7”, which include the largest 7 tech stocks, increased in value by a whopping 64%. These seven companies carried the S&P 500 index to an impressive 23.3% return and now make up 1/3 of the entire index...
Tarheel Advisors, LLC has produced an educational text on financial planning available at Amazon. In order to have a successful retirement, you must have a plan that allows you to identify risks, reduce taxes, find good investments, understand insurance, save for education, and manage your estate planning. Preparing for Retirement: A Comprehensive Guide To Financial Planning does this with a 176 page guide that is full of easy to read charts, examples, and an appendix of commonly used financial planning forms. Whether you have managed your money for decades or you're new to financial planning, this 2018 edition of Preparing for Retirement provides the information and techniques needed to successfully create and maintain a financial plan.