Avoid Playing Politics with Your Portfolio

When the markets are shaky, it can be tempting to rely on political headlines or pending legislation to time your entry or exit points. However, letting politics drive your investment decisions can be a costly mistake. Learn more about what helps market trends endure beyond political administrations and why you should ignore the noise and … Read more

COVID-19 Trends Weaken the Case for Investing in Europe

In recent months, we have warmed up to Europe as a destination for equity investments in global portfolios. Through July, Europe had done a relatively good job containing the first wave of COVID-19, and cases were plummeting to multi-month lows. Meanwhile, the United States was struggling with its second wave—or perhaps the second phase of … Read more

Life Insurance and Charitable Giving

Life insurance can be an excellent tool for charitable giving. Not only does life insurance allow you to make a substantial gift to charity at relatively little cost to you, but you may also benefit from tax rules that apply to gifts of life insurance. WHY USE LIFE INSURANCE FOR CHARITABLE GIVING? Life insurance allows … Read more

Comparing Life Insurance Policies

Like anyone else, you want a life insurance policy that meets your needs and budget. But how do you find the right policy when there are so many to choose from and many of them seem so similar? The key is knowing how to compare policies and evaluate the results. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT–AND COMPARE … Read more

Market Update: Daily Insights

US Stocks opened slightly lower. The modest selling pressure that followed the somewhat downbeat economic commentary from Wednesday’s Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting minutes has carried over this morning. Futures pared losses overnight on reports that US and China trade officials have agreed to meet in the coming days, but an increase in jobless claims dampened sentiment ahead of … Read more

Fed Says We’ve Got Your Back for as Long as It Takes

The Federal Reserve (Fed) completed its latest two-day policy meeting Wednesday, July 29, and the primary message coming from the world’s most important central bank was a continued commitment to supporting the economy as long as it’s needed—and probably even a little longer, we believe, just to provide a margin of error. The Fed kept … Read more

Smart Financial Moves in Your 40s and 50s

These crucial years call for action. Today, retirement may seem nearer to you than it once did. The following moves might be worth making—and soon. Catch-up contributions to your retirement accounts. Starting in the year you turn 50, you may make a total of $1,000 in catch-up contributions to your IRAs each year and put an extra … Read more

Are Clos a Systemic Risk?

What is a Collateralized Loan Obligation (CLO)? Collateralized loan obligations (CLO) are portfolios of leveraged loans, a type of below-investment grade loan usually taken out by more heavily indebted companies. Each CLO is divided into a series of tranches with different degrees of risk. The more senior tranches receive their interest payments first, and therefore, have … Read more