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Many politically-oriented investors were personally disappointed, as neither side achieved a sweeping victory. Yet market euphoria reigned for a full trading session, as investors were secure in their knowledge that nothing of consequence would happen with a divided Congress.

“I want to be good to my children, so I am adding them to the deed to the house.” We hear it in the office, on the radio show, in emails, and during phone calls, and it is almost always well-intentioned. Many times, however, what sounds like a nice idea is actually a detriment to the financial futures of both parents and children. An understanding of IRS rules can prevent costly errors from being made. Generally speaking, once the error has been made, there are no “do-overs.”

Apparently, some of the President’s critics are not terribly happy about this revelation, as evidenced by the above-captioned headline. One of Trump’s main economic targets is to narrow the trade deficit. In Q3 that did not happen, as imports outpaced exports by an increased margin. Ipso facto, they imply that Trump is failing in his attempts to balance international trade.

Think about this; would you rather pay more taxes today and leave more tax-free assets to your heirs, or leave the heirs with more eventual taxes by paying less today?

Let’s look at some of the media hype surrounding this normal market pause. How many of you think that DJIA 26,000 is a brand new phenomenon? Would you believe that we first achieved that milestone on January 17, 2018? Look it up if you need to, in order to feel better.

The unemployment rate is an indicator of what percentage of the population is working, and what percentage is looking for work. Where do those numbers come from? Read our blog to find out.

You may have heard advertising lately claiming that “Wall Street 401(k)s have failed.” Why is this claim being made, and on what is it based? It is a strange conclusion to draw here in the 10th year of the second-longest Bull Market in history.

Identity theft is more common today than ever before. Credit monitoring is great, but it only helps AFTER something bad has happened. How are we supposed to prevent identity theft?

You have all heard and read the market doomsday prophets, but lately they are taking their pitch to a new level. The headlines are enough to send chills down your spine. “Market Crash Inevitable, or “Next Market Meltdown,” or even “Trump Will End the Dollar as We Know It,” ad nauseum. What do they have in common? They profess to have “The Answer,” and for an annual fee (or a huge commission,) they will share their survival secret with you. Just send money.