The Federal Reserve cut interest rates multiple times in late 2024 but has since paused on the path toward its stated goal of normalizing interest rates. Given the uncertainty from the impact of changing fiscal and trade policies, it may have been prudent for the Fed to hold interest rates steady while waiting to see the impact of the policy shift. However, the data from the first five months of this year has held steady and become more supportive of a resumption of the Fed’s previous interest r...
Jul 03, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 14
There is a lot for investors to be worried about in the current investment environment as US trade policy, deficit spending, and interest rate policy all have investors on edge. However, the stock market has “climbed the wall of worry” in recent months, as data has shown that some worries have not materialized and others were not as severe as expected. As a result, the S&P 500 regained the key level of 6,000 in early June. This could be a key point of delineation for future market moves. The...
Jun 19, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 13
The House of Representatives recently passed a budget/ tax bill that would make the 2017 tax cuts permanent as well as eliminate taxes on tips for some taxpayers and eliminate tax on overtime income. In addition, the bill will increase and make permanent the estate tax exemption and extend tax breaks for small businesses. However, the bill is projected to increase the US budget deficit by $4.3 trillion over the next ten years, which has drawn the disapproval of Republicans in the Senate and the ...
Jun 05, 2025•32 min•Season 10Ep. 12
The prospect of paying for higher education can be daunting. To lower the overall after-tax cost, it can be advantageous to incorporate tax planning to find ways to use funds that will be tax-advantaged. This may include claiming tax credits, using accounts that have special tax benefits for education savings, or accessing retirement accounts penalty-free. After a tumultuous April, following the April 2nd announcement of a shift in the US tariff policy, the US stock market has rebounded, erasing...
May 22, 2025•26 min•Season 10Ep. 11
With the tariff announcement on April 2nd, many investors have rethought their investment strategy and changed their focus from US stocks to other stock, commodity, or currency asset classes. This has created volatility within the financial markets as investors attempt to discern the potential future winners and losers from the trade war. However, it is important to remember that it is still early, and the initial responses may not indicate the longer-term implications. The prospect of paying fo...
May 08, 2025•25 min•Season 10Ep. 10
The US negotiating strategy when it comes to tariffs started as a valid game theory strategy to achieve fairer terms of trade with our trading partners. However, the current policy seems to have deviated from the optimal strategy into a territory where the optimal strategy for our trading partner is to continue to escalate tariffs in retaliation to the US policy of competition, rather than cooperation. Taken to its logical end this could lead to tariff rates so high that they don’t just raise pr...
Apr 24, 2025•33 min•Season 10Ep. 9
Periods of market volatility can be stressful, and studies show that stress can cause long-term investors to make poor short-term decisions that hurt their long-term performance. In some cases, one poor short-term decision could put long-sought-after financial goals at risk. Therefore, it is valuable to know how to take a different perspective on short-term market volatility to make it easier to stay grounded and objective during periods when stock market prices appear erratic. Diversification h...
Apr 10, 2025•27 min•Season 10Ep. 8
Recent stock market volatility has been unnerving as investors attempt to price in the uncertainty of future economy and financial data given several recent changes in the economic and market environment. Making intelligent investment decisions when hard data is largely absent is always difficult. However, there are some tools, such as trend-following models, that have proven to be helpful during periods of uncertainty and therefore should be given more emphasis when determining investment strat...
Mar 27, 2025•30 min•Season 10Ep. 7
Renting is often viewed as throwing away money rather than building equity in an asset. However, when transaction costs, tax laws, and the prioritization of longer-term financial goals are considered, renting may be the better strategy for some people. Therefore, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of renting versus buying, both in the short-term and long-term, to determine the right strategy that will make the most financial sense. The most recent US consumer inflation report showed that...
Mar 13, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 6
The Federal Reserve paused its rate cuts recently as the rate of inflation has stubbornly oscillated above the Fed’s 2% target rate. Added to the Fed’s concerns about the uncertainty of the future path of inflation is the unknown impact that tariffs may have on end-consumer prices and an increase in short-term consumer inflation expectations. So far, this data appears to have impacted the bond market with US long-term interest rates nearing a 10-month high, but the US stock market has been impac...
Feb 27, 2025•31 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how The IRS has announced several provisions to provide tax relief to those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfire disaster that started on January 7th. The IRS will allow victims an automatic extension of time to file their income tax returns, make certain tax-deductible contributions, and make tax payments that would normally be due in 2025. In addition, some penalty relief is available for those w...
Feb 13, 2025•25 min•Season 10Ep. 4
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how The Social Security Fairness Act has changed how Social Security benefits are calculated for individuals who had years of employment not covered by Social Security (did not pay Social Security taxes while working). This change also impacts those eligible for survivor or spousal benefits under a spouse’s record. Those who may be impacted should contact the Social Security Administration to deter...
Jan 30, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 3
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how large company US stocks appear historically expensive when the price is compared to the earnings the companies generate. However, the historical earnings growth rate for those stocks has been quite high, which may justify the high valuations should those earnings growth rates continue. Meanwhile, the valuations for foreign, small, and mid-sized US companies are starting the year at more reasona...
Jan 16, 2025•27 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how with the start of a new year many people will reach an important date or milestone that will impact their financial situation. So, as we prepare for another year, we have outlined a few of the most common dates or ages that may affect financial planning options and opportunities for the coming year. Of course, this list is not comprehensive as many people will have additional dates that impact ...
Jan 02, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how Tariffs are a tax on imported goods, the cost of which Also, After a weak October, the US jobs market data bounced back in November calming fears that the economy was slowing, and the job market was weakening. Instead, the narrative appears to be that hurricane Helene and the Boeing strike distorted the October jobs report making it an anomaly. Sales of digital assets, such as Bitcoin, are subjec...
Dec 19, 2024•26 min•Season 9Ep. 34
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how the stock market rallies this year and last were led by a relatively small number of large, growth, tech companies in the first half of the year. Then in the second half the market rally broadened as small and mid-sized companies, as well as value stocks, took the lead fueled by improving fundamentals and better valuations, especially when compared to the stocks that had large gains that exceeded...
Dec 05, 2024•28 min•Season 9Ep. 33
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how the US presidential election was recently decided, causing many Americans and political pundits to examine the result and its potential causes. However, looking beyond the US borders, it becomes apparent that the shift in the political tide is not just limited to the US. The US election reflects a global trend of voter frustration with inflation causing them to shift away from the party in power....
Nov 21, 2024•30 min•Season 9Ep. 32
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss how Direct indexing has become more and more popular as advancements in technology and decreasing trading and custodial costs have made these strategies more competitive. In some cases, direct indexing can lead to better tax outcomes or could better meet investor preferences to hold or avoid certain securities. However, there are also some negative implications, including increased complexity that ma...
Nov 07, 2024•26 min•Season 9Ep. 31
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss The trustees of the Social Security benefit program recently released their report for 2024. As in the past, the trustees are sounding the alarm about the future funding of Social Security benefits as program revenue is expected to fall short of outflows, causing its limited reserves to dwindle over time. Therefore, the trustees recommend that Congress act sooner rather than later to gradually implem...
Oct 24, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 30
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement was popular several years ago, but many adherents found it to be too difficult to achieve or that it came with downsides that were not worth the effort in the long run. Now a new version of the FIRE movement, called Coast FIRE, is gaining attention as it better balances needs today with the desire for increased financial freedom in the future an...
Oct 10, 2024•27 min•Season 9Ep. 29
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the rate at which prices were increasing has eased but many households are still feeling the pinch from inflation. One of the factors that explains why some households are feeling more of the pinch than others is that inflation has not been evenly distributed across all goods and services. Instead, certain categories have experienced higher inflation than others so the mix of a given household's no...
Sep 26, 2024•25 min•Season 9Ep. 28
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode we discuss how in an effort to safeguard taxpayer financial information, the IRS has made it more difficult for taxpayers and their appointed professionals to access information stored by the IRS. This is especially true after a taxpayer has passed and a fiduciary has become responsible for their income taxes and the taxes owed by a trust or estate. Therefore, it is important to complete the proper forms and submi...
Sep 12, 2024•26 min•Season 9Ep. 27
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode we discuss A combination of government mandated financial literacy classes and increased access to financial resources online has resulted in a rise in financial literacy among young adults. This has made today’s young adults better prepared to navigate the complex financial world by making well-informed decisions. However, there are still things that parents can do to supplement their kids’ financial education, s...
Aug 29, 2024•34 min•Season 9Ep. 26
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode we discuss America’s housing market is facing a new challenge. Homeowners who locked in low mortgage rates, either by buying or refinancing during the low-interest rate period of the pandemic, are hesitant to give up their low-rate mortgages causing them to stay put. This has reduced the number of homes for sale, especially in certain localities, causing tight inventories that keep prices high. The combination of ...
Aug 15, 2024•27 min•Season 9Ep. 25
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode we discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a popular investment trend in 2024. The excitement around AI is centered around its potential to change the business world and daily life in the future. However, there is still no defined path to generating sufficient revenue and profits from the large investments. In addition, the increase in the value of many AI companies has caused them to already be a meaningful p...
Aug 01, 2024•27 min•Season 9Ep. 24
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. In this episode we discuss how the Social Security system can be very complex. Yet, Social Security often represents a large percentage of the average retiree’s income in retirement. Therefore, it is important to understand how Social Security benefits are calculated and the issues that should be considered when assessing different claiming strategies in retirement, much of which comes down to a retiree’s expectations about how long ...
Jul 18, 2024•27 min•Season 9Ep. 23
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. We discuss how when it comes to home improvements there may be some tax implications that homeowners should be aware of. These include the deduction of interest on loans to finance improvements, the need to track the tax basis of a property, and some tax credits that may be allowed for energy efficient home improvements. Some of these benefits can be substantial while others are fairly minor, so it is important to understand the cost/ben...
Jul 04, 2024•29 min•Season 9Ep. 22
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are a common form of employee compensation as stock options and cash bonuses have become less and less common. RSUs can be a great way for an employee to build wealth by sharing in their company’s success, but they also come with some complex tax and investment planning considerations that can complicate the planning around this form of compensation. Also, Housing affordability has continued to be a challeng...
Jun 20, 2024•25 min•Season 9Ep. 21
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. A new AARP study shows that many people in their 50s believe they will never be able to retire as they struggle to pay for day-to-day living needs, much less save for the long-term. This finding highlights the importance of creating a retirement plan as early as possible. However, even those who start retirement planning later in life are often able to get back on track, or at least achieve a better outcome than those who continue to avo...
Jun 06, 2024•33 min•Season 9Ep. 20
Welcome to the @plannedsolutions Incorporated Podcast. The increase in interest rates over the past several years has created some financial planning opportunities and risks that should be considered. These include the benefit of creating a cash management plan to increase earnings on low-risk investments and implementing more creative borrowing strategies to reduce the overall cost of debt. Also, Some employers are now offering annuity-based investment options as a part of their 401k invest...
May 23, 2024•28 min•Season 9Ep. 19
