Recently, we saw the largest change to the U.S. tax code since 1986 with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). While there are many modifications to the tax code, this article summarizes some of the major changes that impact individuals.
West Financial Special Releasei - On September 7th, credit reporting agency Equifax announced a massive data breach that occurred between May through July of this year and affected an estimated 143 million consumers in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdomii. The personal information exposed includes Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and in some cases, credit card numbers. Given how sensitive this information is, and what could be done with it in the wrong hands, experts across industries are recommending that this situation be taken very seriously
Earlier this year, Charles Schwab announced they were lowering commissions on stock and exchange traded fund (ETF) trades from $8.95 to $6.951 making them the cheapest brokerage firm for purchasing and selling stocks and ETFs. Not to be outdone, Fidelity shortly thereafter announced they too were lowering their fees, from $7.95 to $4.952. Fidelity’s time at the top (or bottom) didn’t last more than a few hours, as Schwab lowered their trading commission to match Fidelity later the same day. The new commission rates for both Schwab and Fidelity are now in effect and will likely benefit the vast
