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Financial Planning Perspectives
Fall 2021 Investment Strategy Update
The equity markets were performing well during the 3rd quarter of 2021 until a dramatic stock market correction in September in which the S&P 500 declined about 4.8% and Nasdaq closed down over 5.3% for the month. While rising interest...
Read MoreSummer 2021 Investment Strategy Update
Inflation was one of the main topics of discussion in the second quarter of 2021 and most economists expected inflation to rise, but few foresaw a Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) reading of 5% in May 2021 which was the highest rate in...
Read MoreSpring 2021 Investment Strategy Update
The first quarter of 2021 witnessed equity indices market highs while bond prices declined with the worst quarterly performance for fixed income investments in many decades. The old 60/40 approach to investing with 60% stocks and 40%...
Read MoreSpecial Update - Monday, April 13th 2020
Special Update - Monday, April 13th 2020 Lord knows we all need some good news in this time of crisis, and stocks and bond prices started off April rallying with the markets now up about 25% off the March lows after a 34% nosedive off...
Read MoreCastle Financial Special Update, Sunday, March 29th 2020
Castle Financial Special Update, Sunday, March 29th 2020 As the stewards of our valued clients' wealth and financial future, we made preemptive and tactical moves in clients’ accounts to preserve capital during this ongoing...
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Castle Financial Special Update, Sunday, March 22nd 2020
Castle Financial Special Update, Sunday, March 22nd 2020 As the stewards of our valued clients' wealth and financial future, we have already made preemptive and tactical moves in clients’ accounts to preserve capital during this...
Read MoreCastle Financial Special Update, Sunday March 15th 2020
Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Many of our clients are senior citizens and we would strongly encourage everyone to be especially considerate of our seniors’ risk to the virus...
Read MoreWhy Long Term Investing Wins Out
Have you heard the hype? Day trading, cryptocurrency, and ultra-high dividend stocks are the latest and greatest way to get rich quick! With an unprecedented amount of buzz surrounding new investment “strategies” and...
Read MoreWould You Be Ready If A Recession Started Tomorrow?
In the midst of a long bull run, no-one wants to think about a recession. Whether on the news or in the headlines, speculations seem to exist everywhere. The following article will not help you determine the likelihood of a recession...
Read MoreFamily Legacy Planning: 6 Tips for Holding a Family Meeting About Money
As a parent, your family bond is important but at times challenging. As you can imagine, having a family meeting to talk specifically about money is no easy feat. At the same time, discussing finances to your family may be one of the...
Read MoreCastle Financial: When More Money Means More Problems For Your Family
Those attuned to popular early rap may remember the notorious B.I.G. song, “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” In a similar sense, even conventional estate planning may lead to major family rivalries and contention, especially...
Read MoreRetirement Strategy: Why Relying On High Dividends May Be Dangerous
You’ve seen the numbers. The dividend yields within your retirement portfolio look fantastic. While a high-percentage yield on your latest stock pick may seem like a marvelous bonus, there are hidden dangers to choosing stocks...
Read MoreDo Wealthy Individuals Invest Differently Than Everyone Else?
What’s going on? How are wealthy individuals managing their portfolios differently than the average investor? Whether you are an average investor looking to get a leg-up, or a high net worth (HNW) individual curious as to how...
Read MoreWhy Your Million Dollar Salary Doesn’t Mean High Net Worth
It’s easy, right? Now that I’m making a major league salary, reaching a high net worth should follow with minimal effort, right? Wrong. While your salary may be correlated to your net worth, correlation does not necessarily...
Read MoreStrategies For Baby Boomers Worried About Retirement
Here it is. A topic that can spark concern whenever it comes to mind - even on a sunny Saturday morning: retirement. Notice how we say “can spark concern”, vice “will.” The following article will explain why,...
Read MoreCastle Monthly Financial Markets Update - December 2018
Castle Monthly Financial Markets Update - December 2018 Financial Market Recap for November 2018 The final week of November drove the major stock market indices back into positive territory for the year-to-date with the S&P 500...
Read MoreCastle Monthly Financial Markets Updates - November 2018
October Delivered Some Tricks, But Also Lots of Treats! October Tricks October was a historic month for the bull stock market with the S&P 500’s 7% decline. This was the worst drop since September of 2011 when we were in the...
Read MoreCastle Monthly Financial Markets Updates - October 2018
Castle Monthly Financial Markets Updates - October 2018 U.S. Stock Markets Update What a wonderful period the third quarter of 2018 turned out to be for the major stock market averages. The Dow gained over 9%, the S&P 500 rose 7.7% and...
Read MoreWhen It Comes to Financial Planning Focus More on Goals and Less on Numbers
Creating a long-term financial plan that ties your life aspirations to your financial goals can help you to distinguish wants from needs, establish clear priorities, and avoid misguided investment decisions.
Read MoreCastle Monthly Financial Markets Update - September 2018
Castle Monthly Financial Markets Updates September 2018 Stocks continued to move higher last week in the run-up to the Labor Day weekend holiday with the month of August bucking the historical trend of being a down month. The S&P 500...
Read More10 Best College Majors for a Lucrative Career
College is often considered the surest path to a lucrative career. After all, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a worker with a bachelor's degree typically earns two-thirds more than someone with just a high school...
Read MoreCreate a Contract for Family Care
Family caregiver contracts can range from informal to complex professional contracts drawn up by lawyers. Here's what you should know to decide what's best for you. When the caregiver whom Amy Goyer, of Phoenix, hired for her...
Read MoreMarriage and Roth IRA Contributions
Newlyweds can suddenly become ineligible for Roth IRAs once their incomes are combined, although couples may still invest in them indirectly. Q. I'm getting married next month, and when we add up my income and my wife's, we'll earn...
Read MoreWhat to Do After Inheriting an IRA
Heirs must begin taking withdrawals once they inherit an IRA, but how they choose to make those distributions can have a big impact on their account balance over time. Q. My mother just passed away at the age of 60. She has $110,000 in...
Read MoreGive Your 401(k) a Midyear Checkup
Now is a good time to review your 401(k) contributions to make sure you're getting your employer's full match. Q. I've been contributing to my 401(k), and my employer matches a portion of my contributions. Does the $18,000 maximum for...
Read More10 Big Employers That Let You Bring Your Dog to Work
While Donald Trump has yet to appoint a four-legged friend to walk the halls of the White House (making him the first president since William McKinley not to have a dog), his Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, made history this...
Read More10 Most Expensive Cities to Live In
Costly cities are costly for a reason. Be it climate, geography, culture, economic prosperity or all of the above, the most expensive U.S. cities to live in offer amenities and opportunities for which residents are willing to pay a...
Read More10 Things That Will Soon Disappear Forever (And 7 That Refuse to Die)
Ten years ago, thousands of Blockbuster Video stores occupied buildings like this all over the country, renting DVDs and selling popcorn. Today, all but a handful are closed. The company’s shares once traded for nearly $30. Now...
Read More10 Worst Jobs for the Future
The labor market is steadily improving, with unemployment at its lowest level in a decade, but some fields continue to experience a downward slide. For example, about 1.7 million manufacturing jobs were lost between January 2007 and...
Read MoreWhere Millionaires Live in America
A million dollars ain't what it used to be, but it still earns you entry into an elite group. Only 5.5% of the country, or about 6.8 million households, qualify as bona fide millionaires. That means they have investable assets of $1 million
Read More10 Things You Must Know About Medicare
Heading into your retirement years brings a slew of new topics to grapple with, and one of the most maddening may be Medicare. Figuring out when to enroll, what to enroll in and what coverage will be best for you can be daunting. To help yo
Read More14 Secrets to Shopping at Costco
A Costco membership opens doors, quite literally, to a vast selection of bulk-size groceries and household goods selling at discounted prices. But buying potato chips and toilet paper by the case is just the start. The warehouse club also s
Read More10 Cheapest US Cities to Live In
When it comes to cheap living, don't mess with Texas. The Lone Star State is home to the two most-affordable cities in America. But Texas doesn't have a monopoly on low living costs. Five other states make an appearance on our list.
Read More12 Secrets to Shopping at Home Depot
Home Depot is probably the first retailer to come to mind when you’re thinking “ubiquitous big-box hardware store.” The rise of these orange-hued home-improvement centers was a revelation to those who grew up with small, neighborhood hardwa
Read More8 Amazing New Technologies That Will Make America's Military Even Stronger
Cyberthreats are where much of the action is for today’s military, but war planners haven’t forgotten the need to keep up with traditional ways of enhancing America’s defense: weapons and the means to deliver them.
Read More15 Surprising Benefits of Amazon Prime
Many of us first signed up for Amazon Prime years ago to take advantage of free two-day shipping, and stayed with it as the giant online retailer edged the annual fee toward the triple-digit mark. But what are you really getting with your $
Read MoreUnderstanding and Managing Your Credit Score
Your credit score is a critical piece of information that lenders use to determine how creditworthy you might be. Knowing your score - and what it takes to maintain a healthy score - is key to your financial outlook.
Read MoreTo Diversify Wealth, Think Outside the Business
Small business owners face a unique - but critical- investing challenge. Diversifying investment holdings outside of the business. Luckily there are many options to consider.
Read MoreNot All 401(k) Plan Providers Are Created Equal
Is your organization ready to offer a 401(k) plan for the first time - or are you in the market for a new provider? Either way, there are many factors to consider as you weigh the features of various plans.
Read MoreChoosing a Cause With Care
With so many charities competing for your philanthropic dollars, the better armed you are with information, the better able you will be to make a wise charitable choice.
Read MoreSocial Security: Income Replacement Trends Declining for Working Couples
Recent research has found that when it comes to collecting Social Security benefits, the income replacement rate for two-income couples has been declining steadily for a number of years.
Read MoreTime to Review Your Risk Management Strategy
As 2016 draws to a close, take time to reflect on the changes that have occurred in the past 12 months and how they might affect all aspects of your life - including your investment risk tolerance.
Read MoreIRS to Allow Waiver of 60-Day Rollover Rule
Under certain circumstances, the IRS is now allowing individuals who miss the 60-day window to roll over assets from qualified retirement accounts to avoid paying the potential early distribution taxes.
Read MoreFinancial Capability in the United States: How Do You Stack Up?
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation set out to determine how skilled Americans are at managing their financial lives. Details of their research are shared in this article.
Read MoreWhen Employees Leave, but Plan Accounts Stay
When employees leave a company they may leave behind money in a retirement plan account. What are plan sponsors’ options for handling the cash? Here are some answers to commonly asked questions.
Read MoreWhat Can a Dollar Buy? Depends on Where You Live
The cost of living varies significantly across the country making it essential to be a savvy shopper and saver - wherever you call home.
Read MoreMillennials: On Investing and Retirement
The generation of young Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are now the largest, most influential demographic group in the United States. Here’s a glimpse into their financial world.
Read MoreIdentity Theft and Taxes
Identity theft is rampant in America. And tax-related identity crimes are among the fastest-growing offenses. Learn what the IRS is doing -- and steps you can take -- to help you stay protected.
Read MoreBack to School Bonus
Good news for families: the interest rates on new federal student loans is dropping for the coming academic year. Here are the details and resources for more information.
Read MoreWhat Motivates Your Investment Moves?
Do emotions cloud your judgment when it comes to making decisions about your investments? If so, you - and many others - have much to gain by developing a disciplined, long-term plan and sticking with it.
Read MoreYour Plan's Vesting Schedule: Tailor It to Meet Your Needs
A retirement plan is crucial to a company's ability to attract and retain loyal, talented employees. The plan's vesting schedule is a key factor determining its appeal.
Read MoreWhy More Americans Don't Own Life Insurance
Here is some basic - but important - information about life insurance policies and why so many Americans are under- or uninsured.
Read MoreTips for Avoiding an Early Withdrawal Penalty
One way to potentially avoid paying an early withdrawal penalty on money taken from your IRA before age 59½ is to use what is called "substantially equal periodic payments (SEPPs)."
Read MoreSell Your Employer Match
Employer matching contributions can go far toward attracting and retaining talented, loyal employees. Make sure you are "getting the message out" about this important benefit.
Read MoreIncome Inequality and Its Impact on Women's Retirement
Gender issues affect more than just a woman's paychecks. Longevity, family caregiving, and the gender wage gap influence women's long-term financial well-being and retirement security.
Read MoreConsider the "Autopilot" Option for Your Plan
Auto-enrollment has helped retirement plan sponsors improve their plan participation rates and enhanced many other key plan metrics.
Read MoreCollege Planning - It's About More Than Money
There is more to college planning than saving and investing. There is financial aid to consider as well as the search to find the "just right" institution for your child.
Read MoreThe DOL Revisits Conflict of Interest Rules
New regulations - so-called "conflict of interest" rules - impacting retirement savers and the financial professionals who serve the retirement industry were introduced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in April 2016.
Read MoreOwn a Retirement Account? Keep Your Beneficiary Designations Up to Date
When was the last time you checked the beneficiary designations on your retirement plans? It's an important - but often overlooked or forgotten - aspect of wealth transfer.
Read MoreThe Saver's Credit: Don't Leave This Tax Break on the Table
The saver's credit allows certain low- to middle-income individuals to claim a tax credit for making contributions to an IRA or a workplace retirement account.
Read MoreAvoid These Financial Traps - They May Be Hazardous to Your Wealth
Managing finances responsibly takes a lot of time and experience. Learn from your mistakes and try to avoid the traps described here.
Read MoreRetirement Confidence Leveled Off in 2016
This year, Employee Benefit Research Institute's 26th annual Retirement Confidence Survey found that worker confidence remained stable but did not improve, due in part to lackluster market performance.
Read MoreAnalyzing a Company's Stock
Stock selection is part art, part science. There are many factors that must be considered when evaluating a company including its finances, the industry it operates in, and various valuation metrics.
Read MoreHealth Savings Accounts: Get to Know These Versatile Savings Tools
Health savings accounts are a popular resource commonly used by individuals covered by a high-deductible health plan. Whether you have access to an HSA through your employer or you opt to enroll in one on your own, there is much to learn
Read MoreWhat to Know About Annuities
Many participants in employer-sponsored retirement savings plans have the option to convert their plan assets into a guaranteed annuity when they retire, assuring a steady income flow. Whether you'll want to exercise this option depends o
Read MoreWhen Protection Matters: Consider a QTIP Trust
With a special estate planning instrument called a QTIP (Qualified Terminable Interest Property) trust, you can give your spouse an income stream for life and choose who will receive the trust property at your spouse's death.
Read MoreThe Lowdown on Robo-Advisors
While the trend toward digital investing and advice appears unstoppable, investors continue to have mixed feelings about the robo-investing movement.
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