Investing
“Avoiding Common Retirement Pitfalls“
Blog“Avoiding Common Retirement Pitfalls" There's no such thing as one-size-fits-all retirement planning and planning the perfect retirement may be a pipe dream. For many folks, their view of what retirement will look like tends to change after the first few months...
“America’s Problems are Relative”
Blog “America’s Problems are Relative” Not many people would argue with you if you said that America is a great place to live but also has many problems. Whether it’s our national debt, inflation, interest rates, or political division, it can be easy to assume that...
“In Good Years the Market Still Goes Down”
Blog“In Good Years the Market Still Goes Down" It’s a simple thought, but I really enjoyed this article from Ben Carlson over at A Wealth of Common Sense. I hope you enjoy it too: The S&P 500 is up just shy of 17% so far in 2023. Maybe these gains...
“Yield Curve Inversion”
Blog"Yield Curve Inversion" If you loan (not gift) someone money for 2 years, you would expect to get your money back plus some level of interest since they held your money for 2 years. If you decided to loan that same money to someone for 10 years you would...
“How Americans Save, Spend and Invest”
Blog "How Americans Save, Spend and Invest" Ever since the pandemic hit us in early 2020, something that has been very interesting to watch is how Americans save, spend, and invest their money. While during COVID lockdowns, our spending choices looked...
Should we be Bullish for the 2nd Half of 2023?
It’s safe to say that with all the talk of a pending recession coming into 2023, the first half of the year has been more favorable than expected for stockholders. The S&P 500 is up around 20% from its lows in October 2022. This has been nice to see but is...
“Is Cash King Yet Again?”
Blog“Is Cash King Yet Again?” The rapid and parabolic rise of interest rates throughout 2022 and into 2023 has meant that there are finally alternatives to investing only into high growth stocks. For so much of the bull run in 2020 and 2021, the alternatives...
“Uncertainty is the Only Certainty”
Blog“Uncertainty is the Only Certainty" If you keep up with the news on a daily basis, it’s hard not to notice the constant fluctuation and turmoil on a geopolitical and financial front. Whether it is increasing interest rates, persistent inflation, or inverted yield...
“Re-Thinking your Giving with a Donor Advised Fund”
“Donor Advised Funds are a great way to be more intentional and tax efficient with your charitable giving!”
“2022 was Tough; What’s the Outlook for 2023?”
Blog 2022 was Tough; What’s the Outlook for 2023? Investors just went through one of the toughest investment years in history. This was quite a change from 2019, 2020, and 2021 which saw strong stock and bond returns despite the pandemic. The question on...
‘Setting your Sights on 2023’
Blog“Setting your Sights on 2023" The thought of new year’s resolutions makes some people cringe. Imagine what our 2022 goals looked like in January of last year compared to what actually happened. While we may not have as crazy of a year in 2023, something...
‘The Highlights from Secure Act 2.0’
Blog“The Highlights from Secure Act 2.0" In late 2019, Congress passed Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Act 1.0 (SECURE). This revised rules around retirement saving, including raising the age for required minimum distributions to 72 and eliminating...
End of Year Financial Considerations
“Don’t let the year finish without considering some of these financial moves”
‘Counting Our Blessings’
“Despite the choppy market in 2022, what is something you are thankful for in your financial life?”
‘Do Midterm Elections Move Markets?’
“I’m glad that mid-term elections are behind us. The question remains: Do they really impact the stock market?”
Your New 2023 Tax Rates & More
Blog"Your New 2023 Tax Rates & More" The Internal Revenue Service recently announced their annual inflation adjustments for the tax year 2023. Higher recent inflation means that some of these numbers are up by a greater degree compared to previous years. Here are...
Year End Financial Considerations
Blog “Year End Financial Considerations” It’s crazy to think we are just over 2 months from the end of 2022 but that is reality. Amidst the upcoming holiday period it can be easy to let other areas of your life take a back seat. While 2022 has been a...
3 Things to Help Us in this Bear Market
“2022 has been difficult. It’s important to remind ourselves of the positives and remember that “this too shall pass.”
What the Last 100 Years Can Teach Us
Blog“What the Last 100 Years Can Teach Us" While the saying is true that history doesn’t always repeat itself, it does tend to rhyme and looking back at the historical performance of the S&P 500 from the last 100 years can provide some helpful context when...
The Importance of a Health Savings Account
Blog“The Importance of a Health Savings Account" If the last few years are any indication, we can see that healthcare needs and associated expenses are truly an unknown quantity. Healthcare costs can be a major stumbling block for both the young and elderly...
“Increasing Retirement Success with Small Tweaks”
Blog“Increasing Retirement Success with Small Tweaks” We first published this article in May of 2020, but the reality is that the core topics remain particularly relevant. This past year has seen many people forced into retirement or making decisions on early...
“Understanding How Dividends Work”
“There is more than meets the eye when it comes to dividend investing. While they have performed well so far in 2022, it’s important to understand how dividend paying stocks actually work.”
‘Leasing vs. Buying your Next Car’
Blog“Leasing vs. Buying Your Next Car” With the used and new car market being an interesting space right now, I thought this article from Eric Roberge at “Beyond Your Hammock” did a great job breaking down the age-old question of leasing vs. buying your next...
“A Tough Six Months”
“It’s been a tough six months in the market, but this can usually produce some silver linings going forward.”
Van Gelder Financial
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