All students who’ll be in college next fall – including high school seniors who haven’t yet applied for admission – should submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible (it became available October 1st) to maximize your aid awards from federal, state, and school sources. The FAFSA is a financial aid form administered by the Department of Education that helps...
Yesterday on CNBC well known short-seller James Chanos mentioned he was shorting Grubhub and as a result the stock dropped precipitously resulting in the stock to fall 5.16%. Certainly doesn’t seem right that someone should have the power to mention a position they hold and make a tidy 5% profit in the process. Unfortunately, this happens on a regular basis. For more information please click...
From January 1st to March 31st, individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, can switch to a new Medicare Advantage plan or can leave the program altogether and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B, with the option of buying a stand-alone Part D drug plan). Typically, this window closes February 14th, but this year the open-enrollment period has been extended through...
The webcast highlights the differences between Pre-tax and Roth deferrals in retirement plans, as well as the differences between In-Plan Roth savings and Roth IRAs. Click Here
This week, the spread between the 3-year U.S. Treasury note and the 5-year note (3s5s curve) “inverted”, with 5-year yields below 3-year yields. Does an inversion of this part of the yield curve predict a looming recession? Using daily data, the 3s5s curve has inverted 172 times since 1962! Smoothing through the daily volatility and using the monthly average of daily curve values, the 3s5s...
Domestic equity markets rallied during the third quarter of 2018, as positive economic data and strong corporate earnings once again helped to offset the impact of rising interest rates and continued trade tensions. The S&P 500 index increased 7.7% during the quarter, its best quarterly gain in nearly 5 years. Large-cap stocks outperformed their small-cap counterparts during the quarter,...
One of the most prevalent and difficult challenges for many twenty somethings these days is the repayment of their, often substantial, student loan debt. Statistics show that the average college graduate with a bachelor’s degree left school in 2016 with $28,446 in student loan debt. While paying off this mountain of debt is certainly a difficult task on its own, doing so and contributing toward...
Every Fall, the coming year’s Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) are released by the Internal Revenue Service. The benefit increases counteract the effects of inflation and keep up with the “cost of living”. Below are the limits for 2019. 2019 2018 Maximum compensation limit $280,000 $275,000 Defined contribution plan maximum contribution $56,000 $55,000 Defined benefit plan maximum benefit...
Natural disasters can cause upheaval in many aspects of victims’ lives and this destruction often extends to financial matters. What should otherwise be routine compliance for plan deadlines can prove difficult in these extreme events and the government tends to grant temporary relief in such cases. The Department of Labor announced Oct. 26th that it has published employee benefit plan...
Domestic equity markets posted solid gains in the second quarter of 2018 as strong corporate earnings and positive domestic economic data outweighed investor concerns over rising interest rates and the possibility of a global trade war. The S&P 500 index bounced back from a weak first quarter returning 3.4% during the second quarter, leaving the index up 2.6% year-to-date. Small-cap stocks...
June 26, 2018: Due to a large scale outage, we are unable to receive phone calls to our regular number at this time. If you need to reach us by phone, please use our alternative number 949-955-3466.
If your company has decided to offer a high deductible health plan, don’t worry, you are not alone. Recent studies show that an increasing number of employers have elected to offer high deductible health plans (HDHP) either to completely replace or be offered in conjunction with a more traditional Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)plan or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan. When...
Volatility returned to domestic equity markets during the first quarter of 2018, after remaining at historically low levels throughout 2017. The S&P 500 Index had a strong start to the year, up almost 6% in January, before volatility returned with a vengeance in early February, sparking a mass sell-off. Volatility persisted throughout the remainder of the quarter, with asset prices reacting...
In a recent News Release, the IRS warned taxpayers about a new twist on an old phone scam. Criminals are now claiming to be calling from local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs). They accomplish this by programming their computers to display TAC phone numbers, which appear on the taxpayer's Caller ID. If the taxpayer questions the legitimacy of the call, the scam artist directs the...
As you have likely seen in the news, 87 million Facebook users had their data shared through a third-party developer (Cambridge Analytica). We thought it would be useful to post some guides for social media privacy settings: –Facebook: https://www.techlicious.com/tip/complete-guide-to-facebook-privacy-settings/ –Google:...
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