The Financial 1-2-3

Late Sunday afternoon, the Federal Reserve announced that it was cutting rates for the second time in three weeks, all the way down to zero, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this move, the Fed has officially used its most powerful ammunition in the race to combat the economic damage being caused by an event unlike any that has been seen in our lifetimes.  Most, if not all, of the economic news you are hearing these days is bleak. But during these uncertain ti

For more than a month, U.S. investors have been watching closely as the world deals with its current foe—the novel coronavirus. Through much of February, domestic markets remained unscathed (as is common when we view something as happening “over there.”). That came to a screeching halt last week as the US markets experienced their worst week in more than a decade.

As we head into a Presidential election year, it is likely that your news feed is going to be filled with scare tactics about health insurance. The polarization on this topic is real, with hysteria evenly spread among left-leaning and right-leaning news sources. Solutions range from the total repeal of the Affordable Care Act to Medicare for All, and whether you choose to admit it or not, your politics (or the source of your news) probably inform your idea of what solution

We've all been there. You are driving a road you've traveled a thousand times when you notice a light on your dashboard. Next thing you know, and a few thousand dollars later, your car needs a new transmission.Or maybe it is mid May. You are sitting in your living room  wiping the sweat from your brow. You are trying to decide whether or not it is time to turn on the air conditioning. When you do...nothing. Your fifteen year old system finally gave out.It could be a medical procedur

With half of 2019 now in the books, it is time to evaluate the success that the market has experienced over the past six months. I'll be honest...I didn't see this coming. Don't get me wrong, a positive market wasn't totally unexpected...coming off of the worst quarter in a decade some recovery was predictable. But double digit growth almost across the board? That is more growth than even the most aggressive prognosticators suggested.So what gave the market so much fuel? The answ

If you have been a client for any measurable amount of time, you have probably heard me say something to the effect of, "we don't know when it is going to be, but we have now been in a bull market for several years, so there is no question that we are due for a market correction sooner rather than later." Sound familiar? It should...because I feel like I have said it about 1,000 times in most client meetings since 2013. I haven't gone out on this limb in hopes of timing th

Last week Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin stepped into the White House Briefing Room and laid out the broad strokes of Trump Administration's much-hyped tax reform plan. Whether it was the ticking of the "100-day clock" or the first salvo towards delivering on a popular campaign promise, Wednesday gave us the first few drips about where this complex legislative negotiation will begin.The centerpiece of the Administration's proposed tax cut is a drastic decreas

Over the past few months, you have probably heard more than a couple of Trump Administration officials tout the fact that the stock market is at an all-time high. This should not come as a particular surprise, as you can just go back to 2013, when the market was seemingly hitting all-time highs on a daily basis, to see the Obama Administration taking the same victory lap. Now we can argue the merit of any President taking credit for market performance (I happen to believe that their responsibili

If you have been a part of the Teplitz Financial Group family for a while, you are probably used to getting an email around this time of year talking about how September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. You probably have a chuckle and say to yourself, "Oh, Ari...that is not a thing." Well, in fact, it is a thing (visit www.lifehappens.org if you don't believe me) and this year, I want to tell you a true story to illustrate the importance of life insurance. Last yea

Over the past few years we have all become accustomed to the news of major data hacking events. From Target to the Federal Government, it seems like almost a constant stream of privacy violations originating with the very companies we trust with our most important facts and figures. And still, there was a collective gasp when Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, announced last week that they had been the victim of a hack which compromised the security of more than 143 milli

With last night's Senate passage of the Tax Reform and Jobs Act, Americans woke up this morning faced with the reality of a brand new income tax code for 2018. There is plenty to dislike about this bill. And judging by the latest polls on its popularity, the majority of Americans do, in fact, dislike it. There is no rational argument that says this bill doesn't increase our Country's already large deficit. No rational argument that the vast majority of the tax relief proposed in the

It is the end of the year. And like most years, the Christmas fog and New Year's Eve planning are probably first and foremost on your mind. But this is NOT just any year. When the clock strikes midnight this Sunday, we will not only turn the calendar to a new year...we will turn the calendar to a new tax code and there are things all of us should do to prepare.There are many changes to the tax code coming. Unlike what President Trump, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Speaker Paul Ryan ha

If you are a daily follower of the stock market, the past two days have been unsettling. The nearly 7% drop in just thirteen trading hours certainly sent shock waves to the broader investment community, bringing back familiar fears for those who still have memories of 2008.The shock is understandable. The market hasn't dropped like this since 2016 and certainly rained on the parade of positive returns that investors have seen during the first few weeks of this year. If you have read these co

It's Christmas in March! With millions of Americans waiting for Santa (otherwise known as the IRS) to deliver their tax refunds, it begs the question...what is the right thing to do with the money? It is a good question, and one that actually deserves some serious thought.First, we must dispel an important piece of "fake news". Your tax return is not found money. It is not a gift from Uncle Sam. It is not a bonus from your employer. It is not "extra". It is your money&mda

This morning, as I brought my daughter to school, I noticed something I haven't seen in a long time—the price of regular unleaded gas at my local station was $2.89 per gallon!!! Now I know that anyone reading this who has spent even a small amount of time in Canada or Europe will laugh at my shock (their gas prices are regularly 1.5x to 2x ours). And yes, I realize that being here in New Jersey, our gas is lower-priced than many places around the country. But still, I haven't seen