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Global stocks eked out a gain of 0.4% in May, with U.S. stocks pulling all of the weight. U.S. small stocks were the top performer – gaining 6.1%! Results were mixed among bonds, but U.S. bonds managed marginal, positive returns. Despite continued global growth, stock and bond markets have had trouble gaining traction in 2018, […]

On June 23, 2016 British voters stunned politicians and investors alike by choosing to leave the European Union (EU). The narrow victory hammered stocks around the globe as the S&P 500 dropped 5.3% and the FTSE 100, measuring U.K. stocks, plunged 5.6% over their next two trading sessions. Legislators and economists, among other influencers, insisted […]

If you are a business owner who receives “pass-through” income, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act included a major provision that you need to be aware of and start planning for. The largest take away from the new legislation might be the reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. However, this does […]

Should stock investors worry about changes in interest rates?  With markets near all-time highs, it’s human nature to worry about what might cause the end of this bull market. One common opinion is that as the Fed raises interest rates they may force banks to raise their discount rate or choke economic growth and cause […]

Ready to start working on your family history? You’re not alone! Interest in genealogy has grown enormously in the age of online research and DNA testing. Several news outlets claim that genealogy is the second most popular hobby in the United States, after gardening.  Where to Start? Genealogy begins at home. Begin by gathering any […]

Three Times More Verbose Than God! Savant started managing money in April of 1993–exactly 25 years ago. The then, far-fetched concept of managing investments in a disciplined, evidence-based, fee-only, fiduciary way was unique and, frankly, on the fringes. At the time, index funds represented less than one percent of all mutual fund assets and ETFs […]

Global stocks finished the month up 0.9% with international large value stocks leading markets, up 3.1%. One market segment that experienced weakness last month was emerging markets, down 0.4%. Global bonds generally produced slightly negative returns, as yields rose. Increased market volatility in 2018 has resulted in low or negative returns for most stock and […]

With the new tax reform, now is a good time to re-evaluate your current and future tax strategies. With the ultimate goal of increasing after-tax return, the focus here will be less on items like standard deductions, personal exemptions or child tax credits and more on investment tax tools (see Figure 1 below) that can be […]

If you are one of the lucky ones, growing up, Mom always looked out for you, offered you advice, and was there for you in good times and in bad. This Mother’s Day, it’s time to look out for your mom or another mom you love by offering financial education that can help her, both […]

Yes, that is Pease, not peace. Donald Pease was a Congressman from Ohio who inserted a “stealth tax” into the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990. The purpose of this Pease limitation was to raise revenue by limiting itemized deductions for high income earners. The limitation kicked in at a certain level of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). […]

You may have heard that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act raised the shared Federal Estate Tax Exemption level to over $22 million for a married couple. It is estimated that this increase will reduce the number of estates subject to Federal Estate Tax in 2018 from 5,500 to only 1,700, which represents approximately only […]

Global stocks (-1.9%) finished the month down amidst rising geopolitical tensions and fears over a trade war. The S&P 500 (-2.5%) struggled while small and small value stocks had positive returns in March, up 1.3% and 1.4%, respectively. International stocks fell across the board. Bonds produced low stable returns – led by international bonds, up […]