Providing education for retirement plan participants is not the easiest task. For one, most people don’t want to be lectured about the inner workings of their 401(k) plan. When we present to participant groups, we often look out onto folks that seem distracted, worried, weary, or just overwhelmed. And while what we are saying is important, it feels like we are speaking a foreign language for most people.
During the first eighteen years of my life, I lived in Rockville, Maryland, with my family. After living in Delaware for some time, I returned to the area with my fiancée. Regardless of where I live, I have always maintained close emotional ties with my parents.
When things are going really well, be sure to notice it. The S&P 500 has set 18 new closing highs this year.1 While the stock market historically delivers positive returns over the long term, no one can guarantee that the stock market will continue to rise.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing experienced a surge in popularity, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with inflows peaking in 2021. This growth was driven by increasing awareness of climate change and evolving corporate priorities, according to Investopedia.1
Most parents and grandparents can relate to the challenges of teaching the next generation about money, whether it’s explaining the difference between wants and needs, encouraging them to save, or helping them understand the value of a dollar.
The current volatility has domestic equity markets on edge. Many U.S. equity asset classes and sectors are in negative territory so far this year. One unexpected bright spot in 2025 has been international equities, including emerging markets.
Investing can feel like a juggling act—whether you’re a professional or just trying to keep your family’s finances on track. The flood of data, numbers ticking up and down, and endless stream of opinions can leave your head spinning.
It doesn’t take much to lose trust in a financial planning relationship. I’ve seen it happen in real time when an analysis uses the wrong name in a presentation (not good) or relies on inaccurate spending data (very bad).
The SECURE Act of 2019 fundamentally changed how inherited Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) must be handled, with significant implications for those who have inherited IRA assets since 2020.
Anyone who has been in the market for a new home over the past few years has discovered something many economists once considered highly improbable – a sudden and sustained lift in mortgage interest rates coupled with resiliency in housing prices.
