Cash Management In A Declining Interest Rate Environment
Over the last two years, interest rates have risen at a historic clip. As a result, Rockbridge has dedicated moretime helping clients manage cash reserves to take advantage of the current market environment. In previous years, “high yield” savings accounts were (and some still are) paying less than 1%. Now, it is easy to find […]
Market Indifference: How Presidential Elections Impact Your Portfolio
With the 2024 presidential election coming up, many investors wonder how the outcome could affect their investment portfolios. Historically, there has been a perception that Republican presidents are better for the stock market, while Democratic presidents are better for the bond market. However, statistics shows that the market responds indifferently to which party wins the […]
Qualified Charitable Distributions
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) allow taxpayers age 70 ½ or older with traditional IRAs (not including active SEP or SIMPLE IRAs) to make charitable contributions directly from their IRA to a qualified charity (not a donor advised fund or private foundation) that will be excluded from their taxable income. This is especially beneficial for those […]
Bonus Depreciation Phase Out
When businesses purchase eligible property such as equipment, there are two options available to allow them to accelerate book depreciation, rather than write the asset off over the useful life. Under Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), the business may expense the entire cost of that piece of property in the year of […]
Advisor-Managed vs Outside-Managed Accounts
Most clients have investment accounts in each of the three major tax buckets: tax-deferred (ex. 401(k)), tax-free (ex. Roth IRA), and after-tax (ex. Brokerage account). Due to the different tax statuses, each account type “behaves” differently. When investors save adequately across these accounts, there are a myriad of benefits. From a tax management standpoint, a […]
Maintaining Equity Exposure in the Current Interest Rate Environment
In today’s interest rate environment, some investors are tempted to lock in “guaranteed” returns through fixed income instruments yielding 5% or more. However, investing solely in fixed income would be a mistake for most long-term investors. Discussed below are a few reasons why that is the case: Higher Long-Term Returns Over the past 90 years, […]
Estate Planning Awareness Month
October is Estate Planning Awareness Month, which serves as an important reminder for all of us to take time to review our estate plans or create one if we haven’t already. Estate planning is not just for the wealthy or elderly – it’s important for everyone to have a plan in place to protect your […]
Commentary from Fed Meeting (September, 2023)
Each month, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issues its position on the current economic conditions and outlook on future forecasts and projections. The main areas of focus are inflation, unemployment and interest rates. Here are a few takeaways from Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference: As predicted, the FOMC voted to hold the federal […]
Another IRS Rule Change For RMDs!
The original SECURE Act enacted back in 2019 made two notable changes (among many) for those who owned retirement accounts. The first major change increased the age at which account owners must begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from their tax-deferred retirement accounts from age 70 ½ to 72. The second major change addressed how […]
EVs and Tax Credits
When deciding what electric vehicle to purchase, tax credit eligibility can be a big factor. All-electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles purchased new, in 2023 or after, may be eligible for a federal tax credit. However, there are various qualifications for both the buyer and the manufacturer that must be met in order […]
