Insights

Market Commentary: Jobs Data Sends Mixed Signals as Omicron Variant Begins to Appear in U.S.

The U.S. employment report continued to send contradictory signals as the fallout from the Omicron variant began to show up in data releases. The jobs report, based on research from a few weeks ago, indicated the U.S. only added 210,000 jobs compared to forecasted gains of 530,000. The household survey showed much stronger gains. Employment rose 1.1 million and unemployment dropped to 4.2%. The household report includes self-employed workers, which the employment report does not. Average hourly earnings grew 0.3% in October and have increased 4.8% in the last year.

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2022 Tax Planning Checklist

Over the last year, we experienced an economic recovery from an ongoing global pandemic, new and pending legislation that affected taxes and retirement planning, and more.

So as you prepare to file your 2021 taxes, don’t just pack a folder with receipts and important documents. Consider these changes, and look to take advantage of tax opportunities.

Download the checklist today to get started.

 

Areas of Focus for End-of-Year Tax Planning

Many people have the idea that tax planning is only about paying less money right now, and that’s not the case. Tax planning is about paying less money over time. There are many avenues to do that. As we’re nearing the end of 2021, it’s prime time to get your finances in order for the upcoming tax season, and hopefully this article can help you figure out how to pay less money over time. In this article, we’ll focus on a few areas for your end-of-year tax planning: tax-loss harvesting and rebalancing, charitable giving, retirement plan contributions and Roth conversions.

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Market Commentary: Concerns About New Covid Variant Pushed Markets Lower; Core Inflation Rose 0.4%

Concerns about the Omicron variant raised the risk of additional lockdowns and contributed to a decline of more than 2% in the S&P 500 on the day after Thanksgiving. The COVID-19 variant, first detected in South Africa, triggered travel restrictions in the U.S. and Europe.

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Expand Your Charitable Reach

As a kid, Zachary Conway’s financial advisor father tried to instill good savings and charitable habits. Conway, founder and CEO of Seeds Investor, recently told the Framework podcast team about how that worked. When he got his monthly allowance, he divided it up among several containers: one for savings, one for spending and and one for charity.

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Market Commentary: Retail Sales Rise as Supply Chain Issues Ease Ahead of Christmas Season

U.S. retail sales surprised economists, rising 1.7% in October (Figure 1). Rising prices contributed 1% to the growth, and increased purchases generated the remaining 0.7%. Both the top-line and after-inflation rates were higher than pre-pandemic levels. Supply chain risks may have prompted consumers to kick off Christmas shopping early at internet retailers and stores selling electronics and appliances. Those two segments contributed to the strong results.

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The Philosophy of Giving and Tax-Loss Harvesting

Watch this webinar hosted by Carson’s Managing Partner, Wealth Solutions, Jamie Hopkins, and Vice President, Trust Services, Sarah Duey, to learn more about the philosophy of giving and tax-loss harvesting.

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Market Commentary: Inflation Surges in October, and a Record 3% of Workforce Voluntarily Quitting

An inflation surprise created a challenge for investors. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.9% last month. The monthly increase was the largest reached in 2021, and the yearly increase of 6.2% was the largest since 1990, when the Gulf War contributed to a surge in oil prices (Figure 1).

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Yes, You Can Make a Solid Long-Term Care Plan. Here’s How and Why It’s Important

In today’s world it’s fair to say that most reasonable people believe that they are going to live a long life, and, when you live a long life, it’s also fair to say that sooner or later at some point, we’re going to need some form of care.

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Market Commentary: Strong Earnings and Employment Report Bring Good News for the U.S. Economy

After a couple weak monthly reports, U.S. employment roared back in October. The U.S. created 531,000 new jobs, beating expectations for 412,500. August and September were both revised higher by more than 100,000 jobs. Private payroll increased 604,000 while government payrolls shrank 73,000. Unemployment dipped from 4.8% to 4.6%.

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