5.9% is the biggest COLA increase in decades.     On October 13, 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) officially announced that Social Security recipients will receive a 5.9 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2022, the largest increase in four decades. This adjustment will begin with benefits payable to more than 64 million Social Security…

After almost 211 days without a correction of any kind, markets finally took a break here in September. Political tensions/drama, continued supply chain challenges, and the rising cost of energy all came together to shake investor confidence. Looking back, August and September are historically the weakest months of the calendar year for the market, and…

In this week’s recap: Stalemate in the Capitol; Powell says inflation may stay longer than expected. Weekly Economic Update   October 04, 2021   THE WEEK ON WALL STREET Higher bond yields and a legislative stalemate in Washington, D.C., added up to losses for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.36%, while the…

Mixed Signals on Inflation What to know as markets look forward.   Are you having a tough time keeping track of inflation’s mixed signals? You’re not alone.   Consumer prices in July climbed at their fastest rate since August 2008. Worse, producer prices, which can be an indicator of future price changes at the consumer…

Some potential benefits of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act.   Kyle Boston   Recently, you may have seen headlines regarding the Securing a Strong Retirement Act, also referred to as the second version of the SECURE Act, or SECURE Act 2.0.   As the bill moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate,…

Cryptocurrency in the Institutional Space Kyle Boston, Vice President First Coast Financial Group   The crypto-craze has reached far and wide at this point in time. With the SEC on the brink of a decision regarding the VanEck Crypto ETF (and others), it is becoming a very real possibility that institutional investors will now have…

The Oracle of Omaha and the Fed Chair seem to be at odds.   What does it mean when two of the most powerful voices in American financial life seem to be saying two different things?   In one corner, we have the “Oracle of Omaha,” investor Warren Buffett. As one of the nation’s richest…

Some examples to consider.    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 purchases at stores, restaurants, and online are among the…

The proposal does not yet include any new taxes on individuals.     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 administration also laid out a proposal for paying…

The IRS Extends Additional Tax Deadlines What to know about your IRA, HSA, and more.     Previously, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year had been automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021.1   More time for…

The new deadline is May 17, 2021.   Provided by Kyle Boston   Less than one month ahead of the traditional date, the I.R.S. has delayed the deadline for filing and paying taxes. The new deadline is May 17, 2021.1,2,3   The delay follows continued disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and a late start to…

Do you know what has changed for I.R.A. beneficiaries?   Provided by Kyle Boston   New inherited I.R.A. rules took effect on January 1, 2020. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act became law on that day, altering the regulations on inherited Individual Retirement Account (I.R.A.) distributions.   The big change: the…