The IRS has released the 2022 contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), as well as the 2022 minimum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket amounts for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). An HSA is a tax-advantaged account that’s paired with an HDHP. An HSA offers several valuable tax benefits: You may be able to make pre-tax contributions […]
Read MoreUpdates
Weekly Update as of market close August 20, 2021
Stocks closed the week lower over concerns about the pace of global economic growth. China, the world’s second-largest economy, saw retail sales and industrial production slow as that country tries to contain the fallout from the latest resurgence in COVID cases. In addition, the minutes from the July Federal Open Market Committee meeting indicated that […]
Read MoreStudent Loan Payment Pause Extended Through January 2022
On August 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced an extension of the pause on federal student loan payments to January 31, 2022. The payment moratorium, currently in effect for millions of federal student loan borrowers, was set to end on September 30, 2021. The Department noted that this extension would be the last […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close August 13, 2021
Stocks closed mostly higher last week, with only the Nasdaq unable to end in the black. The Dow and the S&P 500 each closed the week at record highs, buoyed by a strong corporate earnings season. Treasury yields finished the week where they began, crude oil prices fell for the second consecutive week, the dollar […]
Read MoreAntitrust Crackdown Aims to Increase Competition
In July, the president issued an executive order intended to “combat excessive consolidation of industry, abuses of market power, and the harmful effects of monopoly.” More than a dozen federal agencies were directed to begin working on 72 initiatives that seek to promote robust competition in the U.S. economy, in some cases through new regulations.1 […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close July 30, 2021
Equities retreated last week despite strong corporate earnings data. European and Asian stocks slid following China’s regulatory crackdown aimed at large tech companies. Although corporate earnings generally have been solid, last Friday’s lower-than-expected earnings results from some heavily weighted megacaps may have caused some uncertainty about the pace of economic growth. By the close of […]
Read MoreMid-Year Is a Good Time for a Financial Checkup
The first half of 2021 is behind us. As life emerges from the pandemic to a “new normal,” a mid-year financial checkup may be more important than ever this year. Here are some ways to make sure that your financial situation is continuing on the right path. Reassess your financial goals At the beginning of […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close July 23, 2021
Last week proved to be a choppy one for stocks. The week began with stocks trending lower on news of a spike in the number of coronavirus cases. However, strong corporate earnings reports helped support the perception that the economy is continuing to advance, despite the cloud of the Delta variant hanging overhead. By last […]
Read MoreNew Global Tax Accord Takes Shape
After more than four years of international negotiations taking place mostly behind the scenes, 132 countries — representing more than 90% of worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) and including the Group of 20 (G20) large economies — recently agreed to a new plan to reform international tax laws in an effort to “ensure that multinational […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close July 16, 2021
Stocks suffered their worst week in quite some time, as each of the major indexes ended the week lower. Last week was the start of the second-quarter corporate earnings reporting period. Attention will be paid to reported earnings to gauge whether corporate profits can support equity valuations. Despite Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s repeated statements that […]
Read More