With only six weeks left in the year, we outline two planning strategies that may be relevant for you in 2018 following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) – both are related to Charitable Donations and could yield significant tax savings.
Please click here to read about these two strategies in more detail.
Despite what some people may say, no one really knows the exact reason as to why the market has pulled back so ferociously, but what we do know is that in any given year, the market normally has 3 drops of over 5%. This is the 2nd drop this year after zero in 2017. In other words the market generally goes up over time, but can take a step back or two at any moment. That said, markets tend to move in cycles and we must be cognizant of where we are because, as cycles get longer, pullbacks tend to become more frequent and more severe.
Please click here to read our 3rd Quarter 2018 Market Commentary
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” -Mike Tyson
While we are bullish in the short term, we remain cognizant of where we are in the cycle and are preparing ourselves for what a down market may bring. Having a plan in place beforehand helps control emotions and ultimately leads to better investment decisions. In this latest newsletter, we’ve taken a look back at this past quarter, some of the things that are causing the choppiness in the market: tariff talks and rising interest rates, and how we are preparing for a more volatile market environment.
Tax-Deferral Opportunity on the Sale of Low-Basis Assets:
Are you considering selling stock, real estate, or a business that has substantially appreciated in value? Are you concerned with the capital gains tax that will accompany those sales?
The December 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provides a new tax incentive and potential solution for investors to defer, if not eliminate, capital gains tax on the sales of assets in exchange for investments back into Qualified Opportunity Zones (“QOZs”) across the Commonwealth. Click here for more details
Successful investing is often determined by one’s ability to stay the course. Since 2009, investors have had every excuse to bail out of stocks, but the market has continued to climb a wall of worry, becoming one of the longest bull markets in history. In fact, since March of ’09, the S&P 500 is up 290%. By historic measures, this market has lasted 108 months vs 54 months for the average bull market. The question becomes: Where are we now? In our humble opinion, we are probably pretty deep into the 4th quarter and might go into overtime.
Click Here to Continue Reading our 1st Qtr 2018 Market Commentary