5 Common Bitcoin Questions
“Bitcoin is like anything else: it’s worth what people are willing to pay for it.”Stanley Druckenmiller – American investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist Cryptocurrency gained mainstream acceptance and attention as the market cap surpassed $3 trillion in November 2021. Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, reached all-time highs in 2021 as the value exceeded over $65,000 per coin. In January 2022, Bitcoin dropped about 50% from its all-time-high, which is not unusual for the cryptocurrency market. Despite the...
read moreGoal-Focused New Year
“The individual investor should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator.”Benjamin Graham – American Economist The year 2021 was a wild one in many respects, but the U.S. stock market pushed higher and delivered a solid performance. The Standard & Poor’s 500-Stock index notched 70 all-time highs and gained 26.9%, which was the third-largest gain of the past 20 years. Investors brushed off news that might have derailed stocks in years past. The worst peak-to-trough drawdown in 2021 was just 5.2%, and the...
read moreDo You Have Questions About Your Medicare Plan?
By Lee Sherbakoff, CPA/PFS™, CFP®, RICP® It’s no secret that for many Americans, Medicare is a significant part of their healthcare plan in retirement. Through taxes assessed on earned income, Medicare earned about $900 billion in 2020 and paid benefits to over 60 million people. (1) In fact, nearly 96% of people age 65 and older are current Medicare recipients. (2) Despite its importance, many people don’t understand Medicare or the full scope of benefits to which they are entitled. Unfortunately, not having a complete picture of the system...
read moreLast Will and Testament – December Monthly Insight
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”Alan Lakein – American author When many people hear the term “estate planning” they think it only applies to those who own mansions, extensive real estate holdings, and large stock portfolios. They may recall news stories about estate battles that ensued when celebrities like Prince, Jimi Hendrix, and Michael Jackson died without a will. Despite these myths and misconceptions, the truth is that everyone should have an estate plan or a...
read more3 Reasons Why Inflation Is So High & How to Tell if it Will Last
By Lee Sherbakoff, CPA/PFS™, CFP®, RICP® It’s no secret that inflation is wreaking havoc on Americans’ spending right now. Commentators and analysts have been busy discussing the dramatic rise of inflation and whether it is “persistent” or “transitory.” What may have seemed like a slight inconvenience at first is now becoming a much larger issue as people watch their buying power degrade right before their eyes. As the holiday season approaches, many are wondering how much they can afford to spend on their loved ones or how seriously their...
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