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Insight on 2021 Returns So Far and Financial Look Forward The stock market notched its 7th straight month of gains in August, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index has set 53 new highs so far in 2021.1 During August, stocks rallied as...

Trying to pinpoint how many years your retirement savings will last can be tricky. Retirees can use this questionnaire as an informal guide to see if their retirement is on track. Considering you may spend 30 years or more in...

No matter how well-managed your investments are, trying to estimate the cost of a secure retirement can be a bit difficult. In other areas of your financial life, you may find yourself looking over the fence at your neighbors' yard to...

The stock market powered to record levels last week amid talk of Fed tapering and a deceleration in new Delta variant cases. What Is Tapering? Tapering is the gradual slowing of the pace of the Federal Reserve’s large-scale...

sdgsa WE full retirement age 1. Your Benefit Amount Depends on Your Retirement Age Your benefit amount varies depending on when you apply for benefits. You may file to claim benefits before your full retirement age. The earliest you...

The Top 5 Financial Planning Challenges of Corporate Executives in Michigan

Brian J. Rener

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Corporate executives have unique financial planning and retirement challenges.

"Will I outlive my retirement money?" That's one of the top fears of retirees. Rising inflation, market changes, and unexpected events can upend your retirement. But how do you know if you're on track? Here are 3 common signs that your...

When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that today’s average 65-year-old woman will live to...

How do you picture your future? Some see retirement as a time to start a new career. Others see it as a time to travel. Still others plan to spend more time with family and friends. With that in mind, here are some things to consider.

The stock market posted small losses last week despite a very strong showing by corporate America. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.36%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 0.37%. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped 1...

Overcoming a COVID-related economic growth scare, stocks moved higher amid a week of strong corporate earnings reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.08%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.96%. The Nasdaq...

Despite a good start to earnings season and some solid economic data, worries of slower second-half economic growth led to a pullback in stock prices last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.52%, while the Standard &...

Stocks managed small gains as investors wrestled with concerns over economic growth prospects and a rise in COVID-19 infections. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 0.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.40%. The...

Strong employment reports and rising consumer confidence sent the stock market broadly higher last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.02%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 picked up 1.67%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

Stocks reached new all-time highs last week as markets staged a strong rebound from the previous week’s declines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.44%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 picked up 2.74%. The Nasdaq...

Social Security plays an important role in your retirement strategy. But, don’t forget, the amount you’ll receive depends on the age at which you file. You can start claiming benefits as early as 62, but for each month you...

As our nation continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19, one economic trend has been capturing news attention as of late. Consumer prices are rising amidst economic recovery. Inflation On The Rise In April, the Consumer Price...

Stocks ended the week mixed as investors appeared to shrug off a hotter-than-expected inflation report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.80%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 0.41%. The Nasdaq Composite index...

A strong, but not too strong, employment report sparked a rally on the final day of trading, propelling stocks to a modest gain for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed by 0.66%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Baseball’s 300 Million Dollar Players: A Look At Estate Planning for High-Net-Worth Individuals

Brian J. Rener

Monday, June 7, 2021

The San Diego Padres signed infielder Fernando Tatis, Jr., to a 14-year, $340 million contract roughly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers inked outfielder Mookie Betts to a 12-year, $365 million deal. That brings the total to 8...

Here are some little-known strategies women can use to maximize their social security benefits in retirement. Choose to Have Withholding Tax Taken Out, apply for Spousal Benefits or Social Security Survivor Benefits...

As our nation continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19, one economic trend has been capturing news attention as of late: inflation. While some experts argue that the rising inflation is transitory, there's no question that...

Why I Became a Financial Advisor

Brian J. Rener

Friday, June 4, 2021

For most of us, our thoughts on finance are instilled in us at a young age. Our views on money and saving come from watching our parents handle their finances. The apple does not fall far from the money tree. For me, it was difficult...

Will your retirement dreams match your reality? That's perhaps the most critical question to ask people who are currently retired. Was your retirement what you expected, or was it something else? For more than 30 years, the Employee...

#Stock prices fluctuated amid #inflation concerns and bargain hunting, leaving stocks mixed for the week. While inflation has made headlines recently, it's expected to come back down once we get through reopening and the bottlenecks...

#Stocks closed mixed last week as signs of continued #economic recovery and upbeat earnings helped some sectors while the struggles persisted for high-growth companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.67%, while the Standard...

An Investment or a Currency? According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that generally only exists electronically.1 You can think of it like digital cash that is encrypted. Unlike the...

Common Financial Mistakes Pre-Retirees Make

Brian J. Rener

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Retirement can seem like a faraway dream. It can be easy to daydream about what you'll be able to do when you don't have to work: relax on a beach, immerse yourself into a hobby, or play more golf. The truth is that the future isn't so...

Preparing for teh future and retirement can look a little different for women than it does for men, especially when children are involved. Although stereotypes are changing, women are still more likely to serve as caretakers than men...

#Stocks meandered around a flatline in a busy week of #corporate #earnings, ending the #trading week slightly lower. #investors The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.50%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 was flat (+0.02%). The...

Investors looking for "green shoots" to confirm that the economy is on the mend have seen plenty of examples in recent weeks. Retail sales rose 9.8% in March, the largest monthly gain since May 2020. It's important to remember that...

#Stocks reached record highs last week, riding the tailwind of post #pandemic improving #economic data and a strong start to the earnings season. Earnings, Economic Data The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.18%, while the Standard...

What Forces Are Driving the Housing Market? Recently, you may have seen reports that a record-low number of homes are available for sale—roughly 1.03 million nationwide. If you compare that to the average number of homes for...

The Economics of MLB Spring Training

Brian J. Rener

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Major League Baseball Opening Day was April 1, but with COVID things still look a little different this year. let's take a look at their MLB team's economic impact. Every year, spring training divides the 30 MLB teams into two squads....

Since April is Financial Literacy Month, it's the perfect time to address a current issue. Online trading has become more risky due to the advent of Robinhood, Reddit, and other social media sites. How Online Trading Has Become More...

Strong economic data and a resurgent technology sector propelled #stocks to solid #gains last week. #tech stocks were key in the #market success. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.95%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

President Joe Biden introduced the much-anticipated American Jobs Plan, which outlines an approach to spend roughly $2.2 trillion on the nation's infrastructure and other projects. As part of the legislative process, the Biden...

Good news for those watching the #stockmarket and #investing, #stocks closed out the week with an exclamation mark, with the S&P 500 Index closing above 4,000 for the first time.5 Overcoming a rocky start, stocks rallied into the...

The economic turmoil caused by COVID-19 has forced many of us to reshape our future plans. It’s no wonder that many worry about their biggest goal: retirement. For better or worse, Coronavirus has changed our thoughts on how we will...

A rocky week with wide price swings led to mixed results for stocks last week, as investors grappled with anxieties over economic growth and weakness in technology and other high-growth stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1...

“If the current inflation rate is only 1.6%, why does my grocery bill seem like it’s 10% higher than last year?”Many of us ask ourselves that question, and it illustrates the importance of understanding how the...