Forefront’s Market Notes: February 26th, 2024 ­­ Stocks vaulted to new heights last week on the back of an artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor company, marking investors’ belief that AI has the potential to transform the U.S. economy.   Stocks Rally to Record Highs Stocks traded in a fairly tight range for the first half of...Read More

Forefront’s Friday Facts Coping with Windfalls and Windburns   In the turbulent journey of life, unexpected winds can dramatically alter our course. Whether it’s the sudden influx of wealth through a windfall or the harsh blow of job loss resulting in a windburn, these events can disrupt our equilibrium and challenge our ability to navigate...Read More

  While Americans are entitled to take every legitimate deduction to manage their taxes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) places limits on your creativity. Here are some examples of deductions from the IRS that were permitted and some that were, well, too creative. Creative Deductions that Passed Muster Usually a child’s school-related costs are not...Read More

Forefront’s Market Notes: February 19th, 2024 ­ Stocks fell last week as investors reacted to disappointing inflation updates and other economic reports that fell short of estimates. ­ Stocks Snap Winning Streak Markets were quiet Monday but opened lower Tuesday in response to the January inflation report that showed higher-than-expected consumer prices. But stocks regained...Read More

5 Smart Investing Principles – Get Started Now   Our last investment principle is get started now. Procrastination can be costly. Please be sure to check out our first 4 principles if you had missed any of the previous posts. Estimate Your Time Horizon Know Your Risk Profile Diversify Tax and Inflation The importance of...Read More

5 Smart Investing Principles – Taxes and Inflation   So far we’ve gone over Estimate Your Time Horizon, Know Your Risk Profile, and Diversification. Now we delve into Taxes and Inflation. In the realm of investment strategy, two formidable foes often loom large: taxes and inflation. While both are inevitable aspects of the financial landscape,...Read More

5 Smart Investing Principles – Diversify   We’ve already gone over Estimating Your Time Horizon and Knowing Your Risk Profile. Up next is one of the most important principles, “Diversify, Diversify, Diversify.” Diversification is a cornerstone of smart investing principles, offering protection and potential for growth in your portfolio. By spreading your investments across various...Read More

5 Smart Investing Principles – Know Your Risk Profile   In our last post we went over the first of five “Smart Investing Principles,” Estimating Your Time Horizon. Today we are going to take a look at the second one, Know Your Risk Profile. How much tolerance do you have for risk? It’s easy to...Read More

5 Smart Investing Principles – Estimate Your Time Horizon   There is no shortage of self-help material available for people looking to boost their investing knowledge. Between television programs, magazines, and other information sources, you can read about “The Best” this and “The Most Important” that. It can be easy to get confused, especially when...Read More

Forefront’s Market Notes: February 12th, 2024 ­ The stock market experienced solid gains last week, concluding the trading week on a positive note, thanks to robust corporate reports and favorable inflation news; this propelled the S&P 500 Index to achieve a new record high at the end of the week. ­ S&P Tops 5,000 At...Read More