Money Matters

By Kevin Theissen You may have heard that the Biden administration announced it was forgiving five-figure loan amounts to as many as 43 million federal college loan borrowers. Also noteworthy was the announcement that it would be extending its loan repayment pause one more time through Dec. 31. This will be the seventh extension since the pause…

By Kevin Theissen After a down first half of the year in markets, July changed direction, as markets tried to reestablish its foundation. In July, the S&P 500 was up 9.1%, Nasdaq up 12.3%, and the Dow up 6.7%. These returns marked the strongest monthly gains 2020. The economic data continued its path with high inflation…

By Kevin Theissen The Federal Reserve has been dealing with the worst inflation in over four decades. Investors, consumers, and workers are also feeling the sting of higher prices. High inflation has forced the Fed to react by turning up interest rates at the fastest pace since the early 1980s, according to St. Louis Federal…

By Kevin Theissen The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found in a recent study that one in five adults over age 50 knows a family member who has been victim to a scam. The Federal Trade Commission reported 96,000 victims over the age of 60 just in the first quarter of this year, along…

By Kevin Theissen If you’ve been to the grocery store recently, you’ve noticed sharp increase in prices. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are still affecting global supply chains. Recent U.S. inflation levels have surpassed 9% year-over-year in June, according to Statista. The price of eggs rose 33% between June 2021 and June 2022 and…

By Kevin Theissen In early June, the College Savings Recovery Act was introduced in the Senate. The bill would potentially allow 529 Education Savings Plan account holders to rollover assets to a Roth IRA. It’s not yet certain whether the bill will get through Congress, but it seems to have some momentum. To qualify for…

By Kevin Theissen In 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee cleared a new bill, Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, more commonly referred to as SECURE Act 2.0. There were some delays, but it was again brought up in the House and was passed on March 29. In June, the Senate passed bills,…

By Kevin Theissen The last couple of years have been challenging for everyone, including small businesses. As it seems we’ve come out of the pandemic, business owners were hoping that the worst of its economic impact would end as well. Not so fast, however, as rising interest rates and inflation now must be dealt with…

By Kevin Theissen The Social Security trustees have issued their 2022 report to Congress, officially called “The 2022 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds.” It is also available to the public and presents the current and projected financial status of the…

By Kevin Theissen As recent economic news and conditions have focused on inflation, market downturns, oil prices, conflict and more, it is sometimes good to step back and look at the big picture. The last decade has given us one of the greatest bull markets in history. It also included market downturns. We came very…

By Kevin Theissen Are you a business owner and thought about hiring your child? Well, you should. If you have children, especially teenagers, you should strongly consider putting them to work. The benefits are tremendous. First and foremost, the main benefit is to help your children develop a strong work ethic.  You can teach your child,…

By Kevin Theissen It has been an interesting start to the year, not only for stocks, but bonds have taken a hit too, leaving investors with fewer short-term options. The Fed’s stance, interest rates, high inflation, lockdowns in China, the Russia/Ukraine war, and fears of recession have all influenced this rough start for investors. The tech-heavy…

By Kevin Theissen Inflation is all over the news and affects all of us. This includes older Americans that rely on their Social Security benefits. It’s important to know how Social Security keeps up with inflation and how the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is calculated. Social Security is a source of predictable, inflation-adjusted lifetime income available…

By Kevin Theissen It may turn out that 2022 ends as one of the most volatile years for bonds in many years. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index has been down nearly 10% this year. The downturn in the bond market has challenged conservative investors and a widely held belief that bonds are “safe” investments.…

By Kevin Theissen Foundationally, what most people want is to maintain their standard of living now and into the future. This is especially true in retirement which could last several decades for many. While there are multiple potential risks and every situation is unique, the most common concerns include stock market downturns, outliving one’s money,…