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Older woman looking concerned at her phone
Security and Fraud Prevention

Want to Save $1,170? Hang Up.

During the pandemic, my phone was ringing off the hook, as many fraudsters took advantage of our isolation. They knew we were lonely, stuck at home..

Read More

Young woman helping older man navigate laptop
Managing your Wealth Retirement

Take a Strategic Approach to Your Retirement Planning Today

Thinking about retirement? The average retirement age in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, is 63 for women and 65 for men...

Read More

Woman shaking hands with someone off screen
Commercial Real Estate Taxes

How Does a 1031 Exchange Work?

A 1031 exchange is a process used in real estate in which one investment property is swapped for another. Through this process, capital gains..

Read More

Man working at a laptop with charts and data on the screen
Market Update

October 2021 Investment Update

After declining in September, the equity market is now celebrating the economic recovery from the COVID virus and solid growth in U.S. corporate..

Read More

People in dark clothes looking at a screen representing hackers
Business Security and Fraud Prevention Online Banking Savings

Avoid Corporate Account Takeover

Cybercriminals are targeting small businesses with increasingly sophisticated attacks. “Corporate account takeover” is a form of identity theft of a..

Read More

Couple and young daughter looking at a tablet
Buying a home

5 Signs It's Time to Refinance Your Mortgage

Over the past year and a half, record-breaking interest rates—slashed by the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy—have remained low with some..

Read More

Desk set up with office supplies, coffee, and tablet
Market Update Economy

Third Quarter Ups and Downs

The S&P 500 Index is consolidating as Washington policymakers postpone important decisions on the budget ceiling and the infrastructure bills. The..

Read More

Group of employees gathered around a table with laptops
Market Update Economy

Market Update for Third Quarter 2021

The S&P 500 Index is consolidating as Washington policymakers postpone important decisions on the budget ceiling and the infrastructure bills. The..

Read More

Group of employees gathered around a table with laptops
Market Update Economy

Market Update for Third Quarter 2021

The S&P 500 Index is consolidating as Washington policymakers postpone important decisions on the budget ceiling and the infrastructure bills. The..

Read More

Woman and man smiling looking at paperwork
Business Commercial Real Estate Loan Community Bank

What Are the Different Types of Commercial Real Estate Loans?

Whether you’re a business or a broker working in conjunction with a business, finding the right commercial real estate loan is almost always required..

Read More

image of a screen that implies the stock market numbers
Market Update Economy

Pent-up Demand Fuels Economy

Economic indicators are proving that consumers and businesses are fueling the economy with pent-up demand on spending. Consumers are reacting to the..

Read More

image of a screen that implies the stock market numbers
Market Update Economy

The best-performing sectors were energy, financial, healthcare, and materials.

The S&P 500 Index gained 8.1% for the second quarter and 14.4% year-to-date despite concerns over Federal Reserve policy, fiscal spending and the..

Read More

Family looking at paperwork with a trusted advisor
Real Estate Buying a home

Buying a home? Here's what you need to know.

Before you start driving around neighborhoods looking at For-Sale signs or going online to search houses for sale, you should get your personal..

Read More

computer keys with green code over them
Business Security and Fraud Prevention

Business Owners Need Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that locks up your files so that you no longer can access them and demands you pay a ransom to unlock the..

Read More

colorful charts
Estate Planning Market Update Economy

First quarter corporate earnings exceed expectations

The S&P 500 index was up slightly in the month of May due to growing investor confidence in higher 2021 corporate revenues and earnings. With the..

Read More

On Our Minds

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Browse by topic
Security and Fraud Prevention
11/26/21

Want to Save $1,170? Hang Up.

During the pandemic, my phone was ringing off the hook, as many fraudsters took advantage of our isolation. They knew we were lonely, stuck at home with only a few ways to communicate with others, so why not take advantage of that good ole’ telephone when everyone is afraid of hackers on the internet?

In fact, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) received about 1.25 million phone fraud complaints in 2020, and the hackers and scammers don’t seem to be showing down this year.

More

Managing your Wealth, Retirement
11/17/21

Take a Strategic Approach to Your Retirement Planning Today

Thinking about retirement? The average retirement age in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, is 63 for women and 65 for men. While you may not actually retire until your late 60s or 70s, you should start thinking about it as soon as you start working. Some experts suggest you start saving in your 20s, when you begin earning paychecks, because the sooner you begin saving, the more time your money has to grow.

More

Commercial Real Estate, Taxes
11/17/21

How Does a 1031 Exchange Work?

A 1031 exchange is a process used in real estate in which one investment property is swapped for another. Through this process, capital gains taxes—which are taxes incurred when an investment is sold—are deferred. 

More

Market Update
11/5/21

October 2021 Investment Update

After declining in September, the equity market is now celebrating the economic recovery from the COVID virus and solid growth in U.S. corporate earnings. The S&P 500 Index is now up 22% for the year and is poised to move higher as economic growth is only hindered by distribution bottlenecks in imported and manufactured goods.

More

Business, Security and Fraud Prevention, Online Banking, Savings
11/2/21

Avoid Corporate Account Takeover

Cybercriminals are targeting small businesses with increasingly sophisticated attacks. “Corporate account takeover” is a form of identity theft of a business. Criminals phony emails pretending to be someone you know to trick you into clicking on links or attachments that can lead to malicious software being installed on your computer. Once this happens, they will ask you to enter credentials where they will gain access to your email account. At that point, they will send emails to the bank appearing to be from you to initiate ACH and wire transactions.

More

Buying a home
11/1/21

5 Signs It's Time to Refinance Your Mortgage

Over the past year and a half, record-breaking interest rates—slashed by the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy—have remained low with some fluctuation. Many prospective homebuyers and homeowners who are interested in refinancing their mortgage are likely wondering if the low rates will persist and whether now is the right time to take advantage of the low rates. 

More

Market Update, Economy
10/5/21

Third Quarter Ups and Downs

The S&P 500 Index is consolidating as Washington policymakers postpone important decisions on the budget ceiling and the infrastructure bills. The S&P 500 Index has grown this year as earnings and growth have supported valuations, but now, as fiscal and monetary policies change, we are seeing investor concerns. With fiscal policy, there are many supportive benefits of spending $500 billion on actual bridge and road infrastructure. However, the massive $3.5-trillion “human” infrastructure package is concerning due to higher taxes and escalating inflation. This plan is likely to be debated and downsized before passage – if at all.

More

Market Update, Economy
10/4/21

Market Update for Third Quarter 2021

The S&P 500 Index is consolidating as Washington policymakers postpone important decisions on the budget ceiling and the infrastructure bills. The S&P 500 Index has grown this year as earnings and growth have supported valuations, but now, as fiscal and monetary policies change, we are seeing investor concerns.

More

Market Update, Economy
10/4/21

Market Update for Third Quarter 2021

The S&P 500 Index is consolidating as Washington policymakers postpone important decisions on the budget ceiling and the infrastructure bills. The S&P 500 Index has grown this year as earnings and growth have supported valuations, but now, as fiscal and monetary policies change, we are seeing investor concerns. With fiscal policy, there are many supportive benefits of spending $500 billion on actual bridge and road infrastructure. However, the massive $3.5-trillion “human” infrastructure package is concerning due to higher taxes and escalating inflation. This plan is likely to be debated and downsized before passage – if at all.

More

Business, Commercial Real Estate, Loan, Community Bank
09/29/21

What Are the Different Types of Commercial Real Estate Loans?

Whether you’re a business or a broker working in conjunction with a business, finding the right commercial real estate loan is almost always required if the business plans to expand or renovate. Commercial real estate loans function similarly to real estate loans, in that the loan requires a down payment and is typically paid off over a period of time, and interest rates can vary depending on the type of loan.

More

Market Update, Economy
08/6/21

Pent-up Demand Fuels Economy

Economic indicators are proving that consumers and businesses are fueling the economy with pent-up demand on spending. Consumers are reacting to the vaccinations with robust spending on vacations, furniture, automobiles and homes, while businesses are trying to ramp up production and services to meet the need.

More

Market Update, Economy
07/2/21

The best-performing sectors were energy, financial, healthcare, and materials.

The S&P 500 Index gained 8.1% for the second quarter and 14.4% year-to-date despite concerns over Federal Reserve policy, fiscal spending and the spreading delta variant of COVID. Most investors see an improving economy with continued low interest rates being positive for corporate earnings.

More

Real Estate, Buying a home
06/29/21

Buying a home? Here's what you need to know.

Before you start driving around neighborhoods looking at For-Sale signs or going online to search houses for sale, you should get your personal finances in order. That means tracking your living expenses and creating a strict budget, which will be invaluable in finding a home you can afford.

More

Business, Security and Fraud Prevention
06/14/21

Business Owners Need Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that locks up your files so that you no longer can access them and demands you pay a ransom to unlock the files. Paying in Bitcoin or cyber currency gives the cybercriminal anonymity and cannot be traced.

More

Estate Planning, Market Update, Economy
06/4/21

First quarter corporate earnings exceed expectations

The S&P 500 index was up slightly in the month of May due to growing investor confidence in higher 2021 corporate revenues and earnings. With the receding COVID pandemic, consumers and businesses are emerging from social-distancing protocols and accelerating their spending. This strong growth in demand for goods has led to inventory shortages in many cases. Temporary delivery delays for raw materials and components are constraining global growth. Employment is expanding, however, which means goods manufacturing should improve and service industries should gain momentum.

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