The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) released the minutes of its April meeting last week. The report suggested that should the economy continue to make progress, it may be time to adjust the pace of the Fed’s monthly bond...
Read More
Will your retirement dreams match your reality? That's perhaps the most critical question to ask people who are currently retired. Was your retirement what you expected, or was it something else? For more than 30 years, the Employee...
Read More
Since the 1980s, unemployment rates have trended higher amongst men than women during a recession. In previous periods of economic downturn, this made sense. Male-dominated industries, like construction and finance, were typically some...
Read More
Now and again, the price action on Wall Street can surprise even the most seasoned investors. Look no further than when President Biden in late April proposed an increase in the tax on capital gains to 39.6% from 20% for those...
Read More
What does it mean when two of the most powerful voices in American financial life seem to be saying two different things? In one corner, we have the “Oracle of Omaha,” investor Warren Buffett. As one of the nation’s...
Read More
Inflation can be a scary word for people who are retired. It’s code for “prices are going up, but my income may stay the same.” The most recent reading on consumer prices put inflation back into the conversation. The...
Read More
A recent survey shows that 63% of investors are more interested in protecting their financial assets and planning for uncertainty in the future than anything else.1 There are many reasons for this change, but here are a few of the most...
Read MoreBrian Rosenbaum, CFP ® Certified Financial Planner Professional™ Melnick Rosenbaum Wealth Management brian@melnickrosenbaum.com Office: 443-921-9993 Disclosure: this material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and the...
Read More
In August of 2020, the Fed announced that it is willing to allow inflation to run higher than normal in order to support the labor market and broader economy. This major policy shift allows inflation to run above the Fed’s 2%...
Read More
At this time last year, it was still unknown that a deadly global pandemic was on the rise, eventually stalling economic growth and sending crude oil prices into negative territory. But recently, oil prices have surged, with crude...
Read More
Most people understand that stock prices don't go straight up. But when market volatility increases, the price action can test the mettle of even the most seasoned investor. In recent weeks, stock prices have trended lower with a few...
Read More
It can be easy to overlook the nation’s solid economic fundamentals when the financial media splashes stories every day about an army of amateur traders, short-selling mania, and initial public offerings (IPOs) that double in...
Read More
I’m sure you’ve heard that the House recently passed the Senate another round of stimulus to try and counteract the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new stimulus package could narrow income eligibility to...
Read More
In corporate America, pension plans may be fading away. Only 14% of Fortune 500 companies offered them to full-time employees in 2019. In contrast, legal, medical, accounting, and engineering firms are keeping the spirit of the...
Read More
When you read about money matters, you will sometimes see the phrase, “getting your financial house in order.” What exactly does that mean? When your financial “house is in order,” it means it is built on a...
Read More
As much as you would like to, you can’t keep your money in your retirement account forever. These investment vehicles include 401(k)s, IRAs, and similar retirement accounts.1 Under the SECURE Act, once you reach age 72, you must...
Read More
Financially, many of us associate April with taxes – but we should also associate April with important IRA deadlines. April 15, 2021 is the deadline to take your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from certain individual...
Read More
After a bit of political posturing in December, the $900 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (2021 CAA) was signed into law by President Trump as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact employers and employees....
Read More
The year in brief. The coronavirus pandemic disrupted the global economy, global financial markets, and daily life in 2020. For investors, it was certainly an eventful year. Economic activity abruptly contracted in the spring, and...
Read More
The end of the year can help remind us of last-minute things we need to address and the goals we want to accomplish. To that end, here are some aspects of your financial life to think about as this year leads into the next. Keep in...
Read More
What has changed for you in 2020? For many, this year has been as complicated as learning a new dance. Did you start a new job or leave a job behind? That’s one step. Did you retire? There’s another step. Did you start a...
Read More
On October 26, the Treasury Department released the 2021 adjusted figures for retirement account savings. Although these adjustments won’t bring any major changes, there are some minor elements to note. 401(k)s. The salary...
Read More
When it comes to retirement, some women face obstacles that can make saving for retirement a challenge. Women typically earn less than their male counterparts and often take time out of the workforce to care for children or other...
Read More
Ever heard the term “strategic investing”? How about “tactical investing”? At a glance, you might assume that both these phrases describe a similar investment approach. While each approach involves the periodic...
Read More
Two high-profile companies—Apple and Tesla—have announced stock splits in the past few weeks, which makes it a great time to discuss what’s involved when a company announces a stock split. Remember, any companies...
Read More
As many of you know, the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee has eight scheduled meetings each year when the seven board members review the nation's economic activity and set the federal funds rate's target rate. In this...
Read More
"Will I outlive my retirement money?" That's one of the top fears for people who are starting to prepare for their retirement years. So I have to chuckle a bit when I see headlines that say, "Here's how much money Americans think they...
Read More
Undeniably, spring 2020 has tried the patience of investors. An 11-year bull market ended. Key economic indicators went haywire. Household confidence was shaken. The Standard & Poor’s 500, the equity benchmark often used as...
Read More
As states cautiously begin the process of relaxing their COVID-19 restrictions, some are wondering, “Why is the stock market doing so well when the economy is doing so poorly?” It’s a great question, and fortunately,...
Read More
Hindsight is 20/20. It’s only human to imagine what it might have been like to turn left instead of right on some fateful day. However, that sort of daydreaming is unhelpful when investing, especially when it leads you to try and...
Read More
The Internal Revenue Service knows that many taxpayers have had a stressful spring. So, it has reset the federal tax deadline. You now have until July 15 to file your 1040 form. July 15 is also the deadline to pay any federal taxes...
Read More
Tucked into the gigantic “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (“CARES”) Act were two key changes you should know about, regarding required minimum distributions (RMDs). Both were designed to give...
Read More
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every state in America is under some sort of stay-at-home order. This unprecedented time has also led many businesses, large and small, to downsize or close up shop entirely. In response to...
Read More
Recently, the $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (“CARES”) Act was signed into law. The CARES Act is designed to help those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also providing...
Read More
Investors are people, and people are often impatient. No one likes to wait in line or wait longer than they have to for something, especially today when so much is just a click or two away. This impatience also manifests itself in the...
Read More
We witnessed an extraordinary move in the financial markets on Monday, March 9. The Dow Industrials lost over 2,000 points, as Coronavirus fears continued to worry investors. At the same time, oil prices lost nearly 25 percent, on news...
Read More
In your investing lifetime, you may only see a situation like the recent novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a few times. This is a circumstance where complete candor is necessary. The truth is that we can’t yet gauge the full economic...
Read More
Financially, many of us associate April with taxes – but we should also associate April with important IRA deadlines. April 1, 2020 is the deadline to take your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from certain individual...
Read More
The I.R.S. just announced the annual contribution limits on IRAs, 401(k)s, and other widely used retirement plan accounts for 2020. Here’s a quick look at them. *Next year, you can put up to $6,000 in any type of IRA. The limit...
Read More
THE YEAR IN BRIEF An old stock market adage says that stocks climb a “wall of worry” – that is, when the major indices move higher, they do so in spite of Wall Street's ongoing anxieties and doubts. In 2019, that...
Read More
From time to time, it is a good idea to review how your portfolio assets are allocated – how they are divided among asset classes. At the inception of your investment strategy, your target asset allocations reflect your tolerance...
Read More
The year in brief. 2019 brought three quarters of disagreement over trade issues between the U.S. and China… followed by fourth-quarter hints that a partial trade deal could be reached. Concerns grew over economic deceleration...
Read More
The end of the year can help remind us of last-minute things we need to address and long-term goals we want to accomplish. To that end, here are six aspects of your financial life to think about as this year leads into the next. Keep...
Read More
If you follow national news, you may have heard of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. Although the SECURE Act has yet to clear the Senate, it saw broad, bipartisan support in the House of...
Read More
“Why is my portfolio underperforming the market?” This question may be on your mind. It is a question that investors sometimes ask after stocks shatter records or return exceptionally well in a quarter. The short answer is...
Read More