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Thursday, November 16, 2023

We strive to keep you regularly updated with important market changes and news. Please listen to the most recent market update from Phil Blancato, Osaic’s Chief Market Strategist. This call discusses recent updates for the...

Monday, October 23, 2023

Securing Your Retirement: Top Financial Concerns for Pre-Retirees in 2023 As you approach your retirement, safeguarding your nest egg from unwelcome surprises becomes a paramount concern. It's essential to be prepared and aware of...

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Navigating Long-Term Care: What You Need to Know Long-term care is a topic that often gets pushed aside until it's urgently needed. However, as research from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation reveals,...

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

What fun!! We had a great time at the Dementia Alliance NC Gala last week. Thanks to my table friends for joining me and Sandra at our table. Dementia Alliance does a great job in supporting caregivers.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

In the chapter of life when children spread their wings, financial priorities pivot towards retirement readiness. This phase often places individuals at the pinnacle of earning power, propelling them toward peak savings as the...

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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

This month’s Your Money Matters newsletter contains helpful information about how inflation impacts your portfolio, why it's important to control your future by creating a will, understanding equity compensation, and insuring...

Monday, August 7, 2023

One of the most difficult conversations to initiate is discussing extended medical care with aging parents. The shifting of roles and emotions involved often impedes the exchange of important information and the making of critical decisions

Saturday, July 15, 2023

For the optimists among us, we were relieved to see some good financial news in June. U.S. stocks were up for the month and the quarter, although bonds didn’t fare as well. The S&P 500 defied recession fears and a U.S. banking...

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

We strive to keep you regularly updated with important market changes and news.Please find the Bond Market Analysis from Phil Blancato, Advisor Group’s Chief Market Strategist attached below. This update provides an overview of...

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Earnings Drive ReboundIt was a very busy week of earnings reports, but none more important than those from the Big Tech names. After two days of sharp losses on revived regional banking fears and otherwise lackluster earnings results,...

Monday, April 17, 2023

I was a 2nd-time Gold Sponsor for The Walk to De-feet Dementia on Sunday. It's an event that raises funds to assist North Carolina families impacted by dementia. I had the chance to honor my wife's mother Gertrude with a flag of...

Saturday, April 1, 2023

About the U.S. Banking SystemWith recent headlines about two failed U.S. banks and their ripple effect throughout the banking sector, we want to summarize the latest information on this evolving event. We assure you we are monitoring...

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Stocks SlideStocks struggled last week, buffeted by growing fears of further Fed tightening and disappointing forecasts from two major retailers that called into question the consumer's health. The release of the minutes from the...

Sunday, January 8, 2023

As the economy continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic over the past year, you may have noticed the term ‘inflation’ coming up in the news. But don’t let it scare you! The fact is, some inflation is good...

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Happy November. As we move into the season of giving thanks, we can all feel thankful for a bit of good news about the markets. Stocks soared during October, with value stocks outperforming growth as earnings season kicked into high...

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Like many Americans, you may be feeling pain from the high cost of living every time you buy groceries or fill up at the pump. Surging food costs and higher gas prices are pinching consumers, especially those living on a fixed income....

Monday, August 15, 2022

July was yet another month of roller coaster ups and downs, marked by continued consumer concerns about supply chain issues and higher costs for goods and services. The weather wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, as torrential...

Monday, June 13, 2022

Welcome to June!What a relief to have May in the rearview mirror after a volatile month (in both the markets and the headlines). Surprisingly, despite weeks of negative performance, the major stock indexes actually finished flat,...

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Welcome to a new year and the January edition of the newsletter! Wishing everyone a joyous and successful year.  Omicron is here and while the jury is still out on the relative severity of this strain, it does appear to continue...

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

There are a lot of questions about President Biden’s Build Back Better plan and potential tax law changes, including an adjustment to capital gains taxes.One of the proposals Congress is considering sets the top rate for taxing...

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period begins October 15 and ends December 7. During this time, current Medicare beneficiaries have the option to adjust their coverage for the coming year. Any changes to your plan will go into...

Friday, September 17, 2021

Over the last year, many have seen their lives impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ways in which we work, live, and communicate have drastically changed, to say the least.It’s difficult to predict what other aspects of life...

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

As the economy continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic over the past year, you may have noticed the term ‘inflation’ coming up in the news. But don’t let it scare you! The fact is, some inflation is...

Monday, July 26, 2021

I was recently a guest on William Smith and Trevor Lawson's podcast. Listen to hear my story!

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

When meeting with clients to determine the most efficient ways to maximize retirement savings, it’s not unusual for me to come across debt in a portfolio which prompts the million dollar client question, “Is it better to...

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Recently, there’s been a lot of noise about the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan, commonly referred to as the ‘infrastructure bill.’ We’ve heard a lot about infrastructure over the few years, and...

Friday, May 14, 2021

Saving money is a bit like eating healthy, you know you should eat your veggies but it’s hard to resist indulging in something a bit more fun. Like making healthy choices, a tax refund can present the opportunity to splurge but,...

Friday, April 16, 2021

While it’s natural to look ahead to a leisurely retirement, it’s prudent to prepare for expenses that catch many retirees by surprise. In a recent survey, nearly one-third of retirees reported they faced at least four...

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Preparing your taxes can be a real drag. It can feel like tax day looms over your spring! Well, fear not: the IRS has given you another month to file your taxes!The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service has announced that...

Friday, February 19, 2021

Recently, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill that provides greater unemployment benefits and additional stimulus payments to individuals and families, as well as more...

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

As we welcome in 2021, we’d like to wish you and your family a very happy and healthy new year! This year, more than any year before, comes with a fresh start and the hope of things to come.Resolutions are a tradition of the...

Friday, December 18, 2020

When we think about retirement planning, we usually focus on the obvious: money. Maximizing contributions. Minimizing taxes. Diversifying accounts and assets. But even the best financial planning can be undermined by the unexpected...

Friday, November 20, 2020

Retirement evokes different dreams for everyone, but for many, travel is part of the image. If travel is part of your retirement vision, before you leave town, it’s important be aware of whether Medicare coverage will...

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

The countdown to Halloween is officially on! Bags of candy fill the store shelves and scary costumes are flooding aisles. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Halloween may need to look a little different this year to keep your family and...

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has kept countless people working from home for months now. Many have been wondering whether they should consider claiming the home office deduction on taxes next year so we thought we’d pass along...

Thursday, August 13, 2020

While COVID-19 cases continue to rise globally, a bright spot on the horizon is continued vaccine development progress with 135 potential vaccines in testing with the possibility of being available by January. Unemployment rates are...

Monday, July 27, 2020

We’re continuing to monitor the markets as well as the impact the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is having on them around the world. In the meantime, we’re doing everything we can to provide useful, accurate information to our...

Monday, June 29, 2020

There are many different strategies that can be used to take full advantage of investing opportunities and help you reach your financial goals; one such strategy is called Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA). Dollar Cost Averaging is...

Monday, July 31, 2017

"Government bonds once offered risk-free return. They now offer return-free risk.”-Jim Grant

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Five percent of the U.S. population accounts for nearly half of health care spending, and half of the population- the healthier half- accounts for only 3% of spending.-Chicago Tribune, July 13, 2017

Monday, July 24, 2017

Millennials have officially overtaken Baby Boomers as America’s largest living generation. Those who are between 18 to 34 years old now number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Americans ages 51 to 69.-The Week, July 21, 2017

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

In 1980, the three big Detroit automakers made $250 billion in revenue while employing 1.2 million people. In 2014, adjusted for inflation, Silicon Valley’s top three companies had about the same revenue, but employed only 137...

Monday, July 10, 2017

The S&P 500 was up +9.3% YTD (total return) through 6/30/17, making it 8 consecutive months of gains (and 15 ofthe last 16 months) by the $22 trillion index. The last time the S&P 500 was up in each of the first 6 months of a calendar...

Monday, June 26, 2017

Last year, about half of U.S. workers who get vacation days did not use all of them, leaving 662 million vacation days on the table. According to Nathan Lump, editor of Travel and Leisure Magazine, when people take time off, they tend...

Friday, June 2, 2017

Defending Against WannaCry Posted by Stephen Register on May 16, 2017 As you may have heard, this past Friday hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide became infected with a computer virus known as “WannaCry” (or...

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Dairy farmers in the United States made a big bet on global demand for their milk, but it hasn’t panned out. Today, The U.S. has more than 800 million pounds of American cheese in reserve, the most since 1984. The amount of...

Monday, May 22, 2017

In a recent survey of 26,000 investors, 41% did not understand that a diversified portfolio was “a safer investment than a single stock,” and 26% believed a moderate investment should return over 16% annually. A remarkable...

Monday, May 8, 2017

Investors are hoping the old Wall Street cliché “sell in May and go away” won’t apply this year. In fact, the DOW, S&P 500, and NASDAQ have not fallen in the month of May since 2012. -MarketWatch, April 26, 2017

Monday, May 1, 2017

Today, the solar power sector employs 373,807 people compared with 398,235 in the natural gas industry and 160,119 in the business of coal.-The New York Times, April 25, 2017

Monday, April 24, 2017

One-quarter of all Medicare spending, roughly $150 billion annually, goes to treating patients in their last year of life.- Kaiser Family Foundation, September 26, 2016

Monday, April 17, 2017

Tax preparers top the list of professions with the highest rate of workers older than 66, with 14.2% of preparers past retirement age.- Time.com, April 5, 2017

Monday, April 10, 2017

On Friday, March 10, 2017, the Raleigh branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC received the assistance of volunteers from Capitol Financial Solutions. Associates spent the afternoon sorting and distributing food for families in...

Monday, April 10, 2017

Workers in the U.S. were leaving $24 billion a year on the table because they don’t contribute enough to take full advantage of employer’s matching 401(k) retirement-plan contributions.-MarketWatch, December 27, 2016

Monday, April 3, 2017

Since 1945, there have been 27 years when the S&P has achieved gains in both January and February (as it has done in 2017). The stock index then finished up for the year (on a total-return basis) in every one of those years with an...

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

For every dollar people are contributing to their retirement savings, about 40 cents is being withdrawn before they reach their late 50’s.-MarketPlace, February 13, 2017

Thursday, March 23, 2017

A short story. Our office is going to raise some money and get a gift card (or several) from Panera Bread to give to the Six Forks Station Fire Department #9 for their heroic efforts in the big fire last week. As it happened, I had...

Monday, March 20, 2017

Some 45% of bottled water brands are sourced from the municipal water supply- the same source as what comes out of the tap.- MarketWatch, March 12, 2017

Monday, March 13, 2017

Today, in America, poor diets have now surpassed smoking as the #1 cause of death and disability. -NBC Nightly News, March 7, 2017

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Apple reported having a record of $246.1 billion in cash reserves in the fourth quarter of 2016, larger than Sri Lanka’s estimated 2016 GDP. If counted as its own public company, Apple’s cash hoard by itself would be the...

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

U.S. imports made up just 15% of our GDP in 2015- which makes us less reliant on imports than almost any other country. Less than 3% of U.S. spending is on Chinese imports.-The Economist, January 26, 2017

Monday, February 20, 2017

“When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” -John Lennon

Friday, February 17, 2017

I had a great time at the DRA Awards dinner last night. It was good to see old friends and to meet new ones. A big shout out to Harvey Schmitt, Matt Smith, Catherine Thomas, David Bohm, David Henebry, and Michelle Murray-Carter....

Monday, January 30, 2017

Raleigh, NC, January 23, 2017 – Capitol Financial Solutions, a full service financial services firm with offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, NC, as well as in Richmond, VA, today announced that three financial advisors have earned...