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4 Tips and Resources to Help Seniors During Periods of High Inflation and Market Volatility

In 2022, U.S. inflation hit a 40-year high, with prices for food, housing, gasoline, and other key staples increasing by nearly 10% over the previous year.1 During these uncertain times, stocks have continued a roller-coaster ride...

Opening a 529 College Savings Plan Is Better Late Than Never

If you wonder whether it’s too late to start saving for your child’s college education—the answer is no. Whether your child is a newborn or already starting college, a 529 account may provide some tax benefits. Here...

Tips for Women Who Are Living in the Sandwich Generation

At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses or the financial challenges of young adulthood...

Are You Retirement Ready? 5 Ways to Help Your Parents Prepare for Retirement

The sandwich generation is a term commonly used to describe those between the ages of 40 and 59 who are responsible for raising their family and are also often helping their aging parents manage their ongoing needs. Those members of...

Five Things to Do Before Meeting With an Advisor

Americans' financial lives are increasingly complex. It's not unusual to have checking and savings accounts, a 401(k), IRAs, and other personal investments. Keeping track of all your savings and investments has prompted many...

6 Retirement Tips for Surviving the Sandwich Generation Squeeze

Adults caring for aging parents and children simultaneously have now become known as the "sandwich generation."  While each generation comes with its own array of financial challenges, the sandwich generation often feels...

Take to the Trail

Between 1910 and 1930, the Green Mountain Club of Vermont established the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States—appropriately dubbed the Long Trail. It inspired another recognizable hiking system along the East...

Planning for Marriage - Financial Tips for Women

Planning for marriage should involve more than just picking out invitations and deciding whether you should serve chicken or fish at the reception. More importantly, you'll want to take a look at how marriage will impact your financial...

The History, Significance, and Celebration of Juneteenth

The Juneteeth holiday marks the end of slavery in the United States and is one of the oldest African American holidays. It is the date that troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, after the Civil War, to enforce the Emancipation...

Thank you, Dad!

For over 9 years, I have worked with my dad, which has been the foundation of my career in finance and lead me to where I am today.  My Dad is Steve Tybus, the founder of TSquared, but on top of that he wears many hats in my life...

4 Charitable Giving Strategies to Consider

Through charitable giving, you can support causes or organizations you believe in and lock in tax benefits simultaneously. Whether you’re new to charitable giving or a veteran, there are several strategies you should keep in mind...

3 Key Money Moves Every Parent Should Make

Whether you are expecting your first child or have been a parent for years, finances and building a future for your family go hand-in-hand. Luckily, there are money moves you can make now to help manage financial stress, support...

May 29th is a Nationwide Celebration of 529 Day

The Importance of Choosing a Financial Professional Who Is Similar to Yourself

Financial Planning for Working Moms

Women - What You Should Know When Starting a Business

4 Tips for Teaching Children the ABCs of Money Management

Four Things Women Need to Know about Social Security

Three Ways to Celebrate Financial Literacy Month

Bridging the Gap: How Close are We to Achieving Pay Equality?

Women's History Month: 4 Female Financial Pioneers

How to Spring Clean Your Finances with a Financial Review

Luck of the Investor: Making Your Own Luck on St. Patrick's Day

5 Advantages Women Financial Professionals May Have Over Their Male Counterparts

Financial Planning Tips for High-Earning Women

Five Things to Consider When Choosing a Tax Preparer

4 Ways to Be Your Own Financial Valentine

Baked Taco Dip

Tax Prep Checklist: Everything You Need to Be Ready for Tax Season

Five Healthy Habits for Financial Wellness

Five New Year's Resolutions for Those Nearing Retirement

Picking a Financial Professional in the New Year

Five Wealth-Building New Year's Resolutions

Sticky Buns

A Season of Giving: 5 Different Ways To Give During the Holidays

Chipotle Cranberry Sauce

Gingerbread Cookies

8 Tips to Stay on Track with Your Holiday Budgeting

Peanut Brittle Chex Mix

2021 Year-End Planning for Retirees

For some, 2021 has flown by—and as we approach the last quarter of the year, it's a good time to begin planning for the next one. Year-end planning is especially important for retirees and those hoping to retire in 2021 or 2022....

An Attitude for Gratitude: How Your Attitude About Money Shapes Your Financial Decisions

Are you a spender, a saver, or somewhere in between? Do you view your money with an "easy come, easy go" attitude or focus on saving all you can, "making hay while the sun shines"? Your overall financial philosophy doesn't just affect...

Volunteering Tips for Families

So, you’re interested in volunteering as a family this season. That’s wonderful—and we commend you for your service! It’s always rewarding to donate your time to a charity that’s important to you. But...

Spotlighting Women-Owned Businesses on Women's Entrepreneurship Day

Celebrated on November 19th, Women's Entrepreneurship Day was established by Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) in 2013 to bring awareness to the hundreds of millions of women and girls living in poverty and to help...

A Financial Review Can Pay Off at Year End

Today, many people find themselves bombarded by a constant stream of financial news from television, radio, and the Internet. Yet, does all this “information age” data really help you manage your finances any better now...

A Letter to Our Clients: November 2021

November 4, 2021 Dear Valued Investor: The past year and a half have tested all of us, but overall, the economy continues to strengthen, COVID-19 trends are greatly improving, and this still relatively young bull market is alive and...

4 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Small-Business Owners

The past two years presented many small-business owners with unprecedented challenges. This year’s tax planning preparations include necessary measures for small-business owners to satisfy existing, new and modified tax laws that...

Four Financial Planning Essentials to Ease Your Retirement Fears

When it comes to planning for retirement, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Putting together a financial strategy can be complicated at any time of life, what with changing regulations, ups and downs in the market, and disagreements...

A Retirement Planning Primer

Does your retirement seem years and years away? While it may appear this way, you owe it to yourself to look ahead and begin giving thought to a time in your life that may account for 20 or more "golden" years. Granted, time may be on...

A Letter to Our Clients: October 2021

Dear Valued Investor: One constant in life is change. During the past year and a half, we have experienced more change than any of us bargained for. Change is disruptive—but also brings opportunities. For investors right now,...

What You Need to Know About Medicare Advantage Plans

If your 65th birthday is coming up—or if you're receiving Social Security Disability payments and are about to qualify for Medicare before age 65—you may be wondering exactly what comes next.1 Below, we discuss some...

Resources for Women-Owned Small Businesses

Small businesses face many problems related to their size, capital, and capability, and for women-owned small businesses, the challenge is sometimes even greater. The good news is there are many professional organizations out there...

Ten Things You Must Know About Medicare

Heading into your retirement years brings a slew of new topics to grapple with, and one of the most maddening may be Medicare. Figuring out when to enroll, what to enroll in and what coverage will be best for you can be daunting. To...

The Sandwich Generation: A growing U.S. Concern

As the U.S. population continues to age, the “sandwich generation” is caught in the middle, supporting both their parents and their children, whether financially, physically, or emotionally. This generation is the...

Changes to Medicare in 2021: What Recipients Should Know

For many people, turning 65 provides one of the keys to retirement: access to affordable healthcare. Whether you're enrolling in the Medicare program for the first time or have been a Medicare enrollee for years, it's important to stay...

Healthy Mind, Healthy Life

There are many things you can do to keep your brain active: going outside more, listening to classical music, or learning a new skill. As you get older, it’s imperative to take care of your mental and physical health. Both are...

Begin Investing While Young

There’s a simple word that has profound implications for savings and investing: compounding. Like a snowball that grows as it rolls down a hill, compounding provides the potential for your money to grow, reinvesting your...

Choosing a Retirement Plan for Your Business

You’re an entrepreneur and you’re not looking back. You’ve opened your own business, whether alone or with partners, and you’ve achieved success. Now you’re thinking about retirement, not just for you, but...

Identify Your Personal Retirement Goals

Ask yourself, "What will my golden years hold for me?" Is the answer a comfortable home near a golf course? Free time to spend with your grandchildren? Or even a cross-country journey or trip around the world? Whatever your answer may...

Why Invest?

To accumulate wealth, people may choose to invest their money into various types of investments. Investing creates opportunities that otherwise would be difficult to manage due to the consistency of contributing to the investment....

How to Get Your House Back-to-School Ready

Back-to-school time is notably hectic. From scrambling to buy supplies to adjusting your internal clock, it can feel like you’re being pulled in a hundred different directions. However, if you get your house in order beforehand,...

U.S. Housing Starts Continue to Ramp Up

In data we received on Tuesday, July 20, U.S. Housing Starts increased 6.3% in June to 1.64 million units, a 3-month high. By region, housing starts rose in the South and West, and in the Northeast, single-family home construction...

Mid-Year Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed

LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed is designed to help you navigate the risks and opportunities over the rest of 2021 and beyond. While the speed can be exhilarating as economic growth accelerates, it can also be...

The Best Money-Saving Travel Tips for 2021

If 2020 made you fantasize about a trip as soon as travel restrictions were lifted—and you’re still waiting—you aren’t alone. Although 2021 was poised to be a comeback year, it is shaping up to be another summer...

Five Factors that Impact Your Retirement

Retirement can be a risky business if you don’t consider all the factors that can impact your retirement during your planning process. Although it’s hard to know what will happen in the future to you or your investments,...

College Planning Isn’t Just About How to Pay for College

As college costs keep rising, parents are looking for ways to provide funding for their child’s education and determine what institution will prevent them from taking on substantial debt. One college funding source is utilizing...

Stocks Are Going Streaking

To quote the great Frank the Tank from Old School, “We’re going streaking!” Although Frank had another idea, stocks have been streaking in some historic ways, both near-term and longer-term. Let’s start with the...

The Fed Calms Rate Hike Worries

The Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) has been doing all they can the past few days to calm the fears over last week’s hawkish Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. Fed Chair Jerome Powell testified to Congress that inflation is...

Why Inflation Worries Likely Just Peaked

As nearly everyone knows by now, inflation has soared the past few months, with the May Consumer Price Index (CPI) coming in at 5.0% year-over-year, the highest since 2008, while the core CPI (excluding energy and food) was 3.8%, the...

Helping Young Adults Understand Insurance

Young adults starting out in life, especially newlyweds, need insurance. But what kind? As a start, a good term life policy likely is a smart move. Other types of insurance may not be. And as they age, what other varieties of coverage...

Buying a Home

There's no doubt about it--owning a home is an exciting prospect. After all, you've always dreamed of having a place that you could truly call your own. But buying a home can be stressful, especially when you're buying one for the...

June Swoon?

Although there was some notable weakness in the middle of May, the S&P 500 Index was able to rally late in the month to finish with a modest gain. Incredibly, this was the eighth year out of the past nine that stocks gained during in...

Three Things Investors Can Learn From Phil Mickelson’s Win

Congrats to Phil Mickelson on his amazing victory on Sunday at the PGA Championship at the age of 50, officially the oldest person to ever win a golf major championship. This was Lefty’s 6th major victory, leaving him just a win...

Where to Invest with Higher Inflation

Inflation is all the rage after last week’s much hotter than expected inflation numbers. Our base case remains that this period of higher inflation will be transitory, as many of the forces that have kept a lid on inflation over...

What Should Grandparents Know About 529 Savings Accounts?

Grandparents can often find themselves in a better financial position to save for their grandchildren's education than their own children are. The parents of prospective students may still be contending with competing priorities like...

5 Investment Considerations for Small Business Owners

If you're a small business owner, many of the best practices employed by individual investors are also available to you (of course!), but you also have some additional options and factors to weigh while creating your investment plans....

A Holistic Approach to Your Retirement

Retirement and financial planning should take on a holistic approach. There are two parts involved, preparing for retirement, and being in retirement stages. Both stages are equally important in your approach to how you view your mind,...

Hot Inflation Data Jolts Investors

For nearly a year, investors have had the late spring/early summer months circled on their calendars for a potential jump in inflation. Base effects from rolling off weak data a year ago held the promise of eye-popping year-over-year...

Members of the Military: Personal Financial Planning

Financial planning is the process that can help you pursue your goals by evaluating your whole financial picture, then outlining strategies that are tailored to your individual needs and available resources. Just as the success of a...

Let’s Talk About Stocks And Higher Taxes

“Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” Benjamin Franklin First off, we hope everyone has a happy and safe...

End of Recession Call May Come Soon

Incredibly, the COVID recession may have ended a year ago, but we still don’t have call from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). That may when the first estimate of Q1 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) growth is...

“Bring your child to work day”  Why does it matter?

As you may know I recently became a mom and with my schedule there are days Olivia comes to work with me. My career as an advisor and my relationship with my clients is important, and a side of me I want my kids to be able to see....

What Happens After The First Rate Hike?

“Don’t fight the Fed.” Old investment saying One of the popular questions we’ve received lately is what do stocks do after the first rate hike? Let’s be clear, we think the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) will...

Four Reasons The Future Looks Bright For The Bulls

“I look to the future because that’s where I’m going to spend the rest of my life.” George Burns The bull market continues, with the S&P 500 Index now up more than 10% in 2021. With stocks up more than 80% from...

Best Business Conditions of the 21st Century

The United States, and the rest of the world, are looking to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, and business conditions may already have put the pandemic in the rear-view mirror—at least according to the monthly business surveys...

Financial Planning: Who Needs It?

No matter how much money you make, completely mastering money early on in life can help you pursue what everyone wants: a financially comfortable today and a financially secure tomorrow. Mastering money in our society can be a...

Three Tips for Planning Your Income in Retirement

If you've been diligently saving for your retirement, you may often find yourself wondering when you can afford to set an official retirement date. The answer to this question can often depend on how much monthly or annual income your...

Stocks and Inflation

As we continue LPL Research’s Inflation Week, today we will examine how stocks have historically done at different inflation levels. For more color on our views on inflation, please read here and here, and look out for...

There's Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2020

Even though tax filing season is well under way, there's still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2020. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2020 ($7,000 if you...

LPL Market Signals: 4 Things That Really Matter For Stocks in 2021

March is here and with it comes some Madness! In our recent Market Signals video, LPL Financial Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and Equity Strategist Jeff Buchbinder discuss four things that matter the most for stocks in the LPL...

Historic Surge for the Energy Sector

The energy sector has certainly been on a wild ride over the course of the past year, perhaps the wildest of all of the S&P 500 sectors. The outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 caused such a demand shock that oil futures traded for a...

How Financial Asset Management May Help Investors Stay the Course

Most people who decide to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles do so understanding that there are risks associated with investing, but believing that the potential growth they may realize over time...

Tips for Tax Preparation

In 2020, the government gave taxpayers an automatic six-month extension due to the coronavirus. Individuals who were affected by the damaging wildfires were also given additional time to meet most tax deadlines. However, in 2021, the...

Stimulus Matters: Retail Sales Rebound Big in January

The US economy had a tumultuous year in 2020, to say the least, and after rebounding strongly in the third quarter, the holiday surge in COVID-19 cases increased the risk that the economy may stumble heading into the new year. The...

Why Bulls Will Like The Year Of The Ox

“Bulls make money, bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered.” Old Wall Street saying. The Chinese New Year (often called the Lunar New Year) will kick off Friday, February 12, and with it will begin the Year of the Ox....

Key Tax Deadlines for 2021

While the 2020 tax year saw some significant changes to filing deadlines due to the effects of the global pandemic, the 2021 tax season seems to be set to be on track with normal filing deadlines. With the pandemic still in sight, it...

How Stocks Perform in a President’s First Year

2021 kicks off the first year of a new four-year presidential cycle. One of the most popular questions we’ve received lately is how have stocks performed historically during this political year. For starters, the S&P 500 Index...

Stocks Open Higher

Market Signals Covers It All This week’s Market Signals podcast covers all the latest events impacting markets and the economy: Q4 earnings, a new stimulus proposal, the Democratic blue wave, and President-elect Joe Biden’s...

Small Business Optimism Falls to Recovery Low

Rising COVID-19 cases and concern about the policy environment put a dent in small business optimism in the month of December, the index’s second straight monthly decline. As shown in the LPL Chart of the Day, the National...

Three Main Benefits of Being a Mentor

Just about every success story involves the influence of one (or more) mentors along the way. Mentorship can provide benefits to both the mentor and mentee, helping build long-term relationships while developing leadership skills and...

Tips for Organizing Your Financial Documents

In an increasingly paper-free society, organizing your financial documents can still be a challenge. No matter how simple or complex your financial picture might be, it takes some thought-out organization to keep your tax documents,...

To my loved ones when I am gone.

Talking about the end of life or possible tragic events is not something people naturally want to do, but it is important. To have your wishes honored and to create a plan to make the transition easier for those left, these plans need...

Buying Your First Home for Millennials and Gen Z

If you are a Millennial or Gen-Zer, buying your first home is likely one of the top priorities on your list. While you may know that you are ready for a house, you may be wondering what considerations you need to make before getting...

2020 in 20 Charts

Well, we can officially say goodbye to 2020. Although there still will be many challenges in 2021, we do see much better times ahead. Just how amazing was it? “2020 will go down in history as the first year to ever be down 30% at...

New Year's Resolutions to Get Your Finances in Order

New Year's is traditionally the time to review your life and make resolutions for change. In addition to thinking about working out, eating healthy, and meeting personal and professional goals, you should also think about your finances...

Housing Data Continues to Surge

For many economic data series, 2020 has been a roller coaster. Not for housing, however. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures jump-started the “nesting” behavioral shift away from urban...

Chart of the Year

Stocks continue to surprise to the upside, with the Russell 2000 Index (small caps) and the Nasdaq making new all-time highs on Tuesday. The S&P 500 Index, a chip shot from new highs, already has made 30 new highs so far this year....

Outlook 2021: The Bull Market in Stocks Continues

Tuesday, we released our 2021 market views in Outlook 2021: Powering Forward. We are extremely proud of this report and we can’t wait to hear your feedback! As we explain in Outlook 2021, we anticipate a strong earnings rebound...

Outlook 2021: Powering Forward

More than most years, it’s hard to look ahead to the next year, to 2021, without looking back at 2020. A global pandemic, a massive economic collapse, a bear market, a surprisingly sharp reversal, a hotly contested election where...

How the Winter Solstice Can Impact Your Budget

Last year, the average American spent nearly $1,000 per person on holiday gifts, up from about $885 per person in 2018.1 Though the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weigh on the retail sector (and many Americans' bank accounts), some...

What Tax Harvesting Is and Why You Should Care About It?

One way to help boost returns without incurring any extra risk is called tax harvesting, which sounds a lot more difficult than it truly is. Simply put, it is the sale of securities at a loss in an effort to offset the capital gains...

Top Year-End Investment Tips

Just what you need, right? One more time-consuming task to be taken care of between now and the end of the year. But taking a little time out from the holiday chores to make some strategic saving and investing decisions before...

Big Gains In November Steal From Santa

What a month November was! Here are some of the highlights: Best month for Dow since January 1987 (11.9%) and best November since 1928 Best month ever for the STOXX 600 (16.7%) Best month ever for the Russell 2000 (18.3%) Best month...

30,000 Reasons To Be Thankful

As 2020 winds down, it has been an extremely tough year on all of us. Still, there are many reasons to be thankful and today we will share some reasons investors should be thankful. Stocks have had one of the largest reversals ever in...

Earnings Rebound Picking up Speed

Third quarter earnings season has been outstanding relative to expectations by many measures. Some of the highlights: S&P 500 Index earnings are tracking to a 7.5% year-over-year decline, as shown in the LPL Chart of the Day, more than...

End of Year Planning: Set Goals and Reduce Taxes| Croydon, NH | T-Squared Financial

By the last third of the calendar year, you're likely to have a pretty good idea of what your annual income will be and whether any major expenses or big life changes await you. This can allow you to engage in more robust tax planning,...

2 Post-Election Charts You Need to See

The election is over, but the questions are mounting. We don’t know who will be the next president as of Wednesday morning, but we do know that stocks tend to do well the final two months of an election year. “Once the...

Market Signals For The Election Video

In the recent LPL Market Signals video, LPL Financial Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick, Asset Allocation Strategist Dr. Barry Gilbert, and LPL Government Relations AVP Nana Nyanin discussed the upcoming election, the economy, and...

Planning for Retirement? Don't Forget About Long-Term Care

Your plans for retirement may include travel, home improvements, and more time spent with family. Few people enter retirement with the expectation (or even the thought) that they soon may be unable to live independently. However, this...

Stocks After a Reelection

Now that we have your attention with that eye-grabbing title, there’s definitely something to the idea that stocks perform better the year after a sitting president wins reelection. “Think about it—usually when a...

Medicare Open Enrollment for 2021 Begins October 15

The annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period is the time during which Medicare beneficiaries can make new choices and pick plans that work best for them. Each year, Medicare plan costs and coverage typically change. In addition, your...

The Market’s Mixed Election Signals

With Election Day just under a month away and voting already taking place in many states, it is still anyone’s guess who will win on November 3. With all of the noise surrounding the election, we prefer to focus on the signals...

What to Know About Working With a Financial Professional

If you've been wondering how to optimize your finances and ensure your money continues to work for you, a financial professional may be able to help. But the thought of turning over your most sensitive financial information to a...

Big Shoes to Fill: Walking in Dad's Footsteps

I believe that my journey to a career in finance began long before I really knew much is anything about financial advisors. For those that don't know, Steve Tybus is my dad, my mentor, my biggest supporter and my toughest critic. For...

No RMDs for 2020: What that means for you

As you may have heard the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was recently signed into law. This was put into place to provide assistance to those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Did you know the act...

Make IRA Contributions Now

Recent market volatility, along with the pullback, creates a buying opportunity for investments. You have until April 15, 2020 to make your 2019 IRA or Roth IRA contributions. Full contributions for 2019 are $6,000, with a $1,000/year...

Market Volatility: COVID-19 and Oil Prices

The tough times that global markets were experiencing due to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) worsened this past weekend as a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia resulted in sharply declining oil prices. This combination of...

Saving for your future

Each month the bills are do, you pay the mortgage or rent, utilities, credit card bills, the list goes on and on. But do you pay your most important bill? Yourself. Paying yourself first, is putting money into savings each month....

Market Update: Volatility Continues

The markets for 2019 started off with growth and less volatility than was seen throughout 2018. The volatility increased again last Friday, when the US announced an increase of tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods 1...

Springtime! Your Financial Garden

Happy beginning of May, its finally starting to warm up in the northeast. Time for flowers to start blooming and soon time to start new plants. Your finances are very similar to growing a garden. How is your financial garden? Have you...

What are Robo Advisors?

An online advising platform is also knowns as a Robo Advisor that manages investments without human financial planners. The robo advisors are computers that use various algorithms to invest and manage investments. A benefit of this is...