Global stock markets generally fell in the third quarter, although U.S. large company (large cap) stocks bucked the trend with the S&P 500 gaining 1.1%. Smaller company stocks were down 7.4%. Year to date, large cap stocks gained 8.3% versusREAD MORE
Investing
Charitable IRA Rollovers (also called Qualified Charitable Distributions, or QCDs), have been allowed by IRS rules off and on since 2006. The most recent extension of the rules expired in 2013, and has not yet been renewed. However, in JulyREAD MORE
Life insurance is often used for alternative purposes, such as borrowing against it, but there’s a catch. When the cash value bleeds down to nothing, the policy generally needs to be cancelled, and that “tax-free” loan you took becomes a taxable distribution of any earnings on the policy. You’re also out the insurance policy you had planned on.
Rising Interest Rates I’ve been reading a lot about interest rates lately, and when mortgage rates set record lows last year, it was hard not to think that the cost of borrowing money had to go up at some point.READ MORE
Despite a challenging first quarter and some decidedly mixed headlines during the second quarter, things have been looking up for investors. Stock markets looked to improving economic indications for guidance and shrugged off geopolitical concerns. Larger-cap U.S. stocks were upREAD MORE