Public Safety Personnel: 6 Factors to Consider When Entering the DROP Program
The DROP program stands for Deferred Retirement Option Plan. The retention program was designed to keep public-safety personnel working longer by making it lucrative to stay beyond their eligibility to retire.
Can Money Buy Happiness?
In 2010, a study was published by two Nobel prize-winning economists purporting that people with more money feel better about their lives. However, that held true only up to an annual salary of $75,000 ($90,000 in today’s dollars). Past the $75k threshold, people weren’t necessarily any happier. That scenario has…
How Year-End Legislation May Affect Tax Season
In late 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included many tax provisions and extenders as well as additional COVID-19 stimulus relief. For example, the ability to deduct up to $300 in charitable contributions if the taxpayer doesn’t itemize has been extended for an additional year. The business meal…
Pandemic Highlights the Difference Between Economics and Finance
One of the more glaring lessons of the 2020 pandemic was that the economy and the stock market are not the same thing, nor do they necessarily move in lockstep. They are measurements of two different things, often indicating how the other will react. However, as we saw last year,…
The Pros and Cons of Corporate America’s Remote Work Trend
Post-pandemic, will everyone go back to the office like nothing ever happened? Will lost jobs be recovered? Or is remote work and skeleton staffing a trend here to stay? A recent survey of company leaders revealed that eight in 10 plan to allow employees to work outside the office at…
When To “Buy Low”
The beginning of the year is typically full of hope. We make New Year’s resolutions, and it may take a few months for our enthusiasm (and vigilance) to wane. There’s also the “January Effect,” when the stock market generally gets a performance boost thanks to tax harvesting in December and…
Fixed Income vs. Stock Portfolio
Early this year, many stopped spending and began saving money. This wasn’t difficult as many areas of the economy were — and possibly still are — shut down. For some, vacation plans were canceled, and the normal level of entertainment activities and dining out have been curbed. If you’ve remained…
What’s Ahead for the Stock Market?
In November, the Dow experienced its best month since 1987, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes enjoyed their best month since April of this year.1 With the election behind us and a vaccine on the horizon, the stock market has plenty to celebrate. Many consumers used the pandemic period…
Recovery: COVID-19 First, Then the Economy
The World Health Organization recently reported that while some countries have made effective inroads to contain COVID-19 within their borders, the pandemic is still well on the rise throughout the world.1 Perhaps one of the most debilitating impacts of today’s global economy is that one country’s problem is now every…
Dealing with Financial Hardship
A recent poll found that nearly one out of every five Americans are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns.1 With reported infections soaring in recent weeks, financial stress could affect even more citizens as various areas of the country struggle to contain the pandemic. However,…