FROM THE FOUNDER Where Do We Go From Here? As we look at what is ahead for 2023, the biggest topic in economics these days always revolves around the ‘R’ word – will we, or will we not have a recession? While of course no one knows for sure, it seems wise to consider what…

As inflation has soared to the highest levels in nearly four decades, the Federal Reserve has aggressively moved to try to cool an overheated economy. November of 2022 saw the Fed hiking interest rates by 0.75 percentage point for the fourth consecutive time. While no one can say for sure, the Fed does seem poised…

In 2020, the Setting Every Community Up for Security Enhancement (SECURE) Act increased the age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from 70½ to 72. The purpose of RMDs is to spread out the tax burden associated with the years of tax-deferred earnings investors accrued in qualified retirement plans. If you expect RMDs to be an…

Unbelievably, this year marks 25 years that I have been helping people plan for their retirement – most of that as a retirement financial advisor here in Columbia, SC. Over those years, I’ve talked about retirement planning with literally thousands of people; and I cannot remember a single time in which the person I spoke…

When you invest money, you are putting it at risk — all investments can lose money. The key is to gauge your risk, and to not put more money at risk than you are willing to lose. This is a relative concept. If you have only $10,000 to invest, then putting $9,000 in a high-risk…

In a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, more than 80% of American adults said they were feeling increased financial stress due to: Furthermore, hardships related to the pandemic — including poor health, loss of loved ones, difficult work and family situations, isolation and inconvenience — have affected the entire nation and the world.…

Global turmoil and rising inflation have presented today’s investors with some pretty daunting risks. But remember, this is the situation for which you built a long-term asset allocation strategy. If you haven’t developed such a strategy yet, we are happy to help you do so. We can help identify your long-term goals, particularly with regard…

As with any major global conflict, we learn things. The pandemic taught the U.S. the importance of reshoring manufacturing jobs, so we aren’t beholden to other nations, like China, for many of our consumer goods, from medicines to electronics. One of the key lessons emerging from the Russia-Ukraine conflict is self-reliance for energy sources, such…