August 2026

IRS Mileage Rate Increase Takes Effect for Second Half of 2026

In an unusual mid-year action, the Internal Revenue Service has announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expense purposes for the second half of 2026. This change was announced in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-29. The mid-year change was attributed […]

Stocks Rise as Cooling Inflation Boosts Market Optimism

The stock market closed generally higher last week, despite a minor setback last Friday. Market momentum was driven by cooling inflation data (see below), solid Q2 corporate earnings reports, and strengthening opinions that the Federal Reserve may posture a more dovish approach to interest rates in the near term. The S&P 500 reached an all-time […]

Billions of AGI Shifting to Lower-Tax States

According to the latest IRS Migration Data released in early 2026, a trend in taxpayer relocation is emerging: Taxpayers are leaving states with higher income tax rates and moving to states with lower income tax rates.1 But the migration is about more than just population shifts — billions of dollars in adjusted gross income (AGI) is […]

Stocks Rally as Cooler Jobs Data Eases Rate Concerns

Wall Street ended last week on solid footing, with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting notable weekly gains, capped by a Friday rally. The market was buoyed by strong Q2 corporate earnings results and a cooler-than-expected labor report, which quelled immediate fears of aggressive monetary tightening in the near term. Ten-year Treasuries fell […]

Trade Roundup: New Tariff Actions and Rates

On July 24, 2026, the United States imposed a fresh round of tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners, citing Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Imported goods are subject to a baseline duty of 10% or 12.5%, depending on the trading partner’s efforts to address alleged forced labor practices. A temporary 10% […]

Markets Rebound After Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady

The last week of July was an event-heavy one for Wall Street. Investors had to evaluate the impact of significant Q2 earnings results, a Federal Reserve rate decision, the latest gross domestic product report, and more inflation data. Despite a sharp mid-week plunge following the Fed’s decision to maintain the current interest rate range, equities […]