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The Week of Bank Collapses: A Q&A

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank set off a whirlwind of activity in the banking sector, the markets, and the global economy. How can we make sense of what occurred and what it means going forward? Brad McMillan, CFA®, CAIA, MAI, managing principal and chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network®, the firm we partner with to serve you, shares a summary of the situation in his recent article, “The Week of Bank Collapses: A Q&A.” Brad offers a recap of what happened and his perspective on the potential implications.

Help Your Kids Get a Head Start on Saving with a Roth IRA

Contributing to a Roth IRA is an extremely efficient way to save for retirement. The earlier contributions are made, the more time savings have to grow tax free. Wouldn’t it be great if your children could take advantage of a Roth IRA and start saving in their teenage years? Good news! They can. Your child may be eligible to open a minor-owned Roth IRA to start saving for retirement, as well as other future expenses.

A Solution to the Password Problem

Whether you’re looking to make a New Year’s resolution or you’re simply trying to implement some information security best practices, you would be well served to start using a password manager. Why?

It’s Here: What You Need to Know About SECURE 2.0

On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, an omnibus spending bill that includes the SECURE 2.0 measure (a.k.a. the Securing a Strong Retirement Act 2.0). Broadly, SECURE 2.0 is intended to make retirement saving more straightforward and accessible to a wider range of people. As such, it encompasses many aspects of financial planning and retirement saving.

Retirement Do's and Don'ts

Retirement is hardly as easy as stopping work on Friday and breaking out the golf clubs on Saturday. Here are some things to think about before your co-workers take you out for a final, celebratory meal.

Backdoor Roth IRA Contributions: A Way to Catch Up on Retirement Savings

Retirement planning is complicated. Many individuals put off saving, thinking that retirement is years away—until it isn’t. Then, in their 40s and 50s, they start to panic and wonder how they’ll catch up. 

4 Reasons to Consolidate Retirement Accounts

Did you know Americans change jobs an average of 12 times in their lifetime? If you have changed jobs and left behind 401(k) accounts with prior employers, you know firsthand that managing retirement accounts spread among different custodians and financial services providers can be a big headache. Let’s look at four reasons why consolidating your retirement plan accounts may be the cure.

Why We’re Not Ready to Call This a Recession (Yet)

By some definitions, a recession is identified by declines in the GDP for two quarters in a row, so you can expect this report to trigger headlines over the next several days indicating that we’re now officially in a recession. But are we?

How Did We End Up in A Bear Market, And What Comes Next?

As inflation has risen and stock prices have fallen, we’ve heard a lot of buzz about a bear market recently. And now we’re officially here. 

The Seasons of Investing

When it comes to the market, investors tend to have short memories as they struggle with what’s known as recency bias wherein more weight is put on recent events to the point of overshadowing the preponderance of historical evidence to the contrary.