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Jan 14, 2025 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
International stocks have not done well recently compared with U.S. stocks. The 2024 return of international stocks (as measured by the MSCI World ex USA Index) was just under 5%, lagging by nearly 20 percentage points the return of U.S. stocks (as measured by the MSCI USA Index). And the annualized return of international stocks during the recent 10 years lagged the U.S. by 7.2 percentage points.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Angela Keeley-White |Allison Berger |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
The start of a new year is the perfect time to pause and reflect on where you’ve been and where you want to go—especially when it comes to your financial health. A solid plan not only helps you stay on track but also provides peace of mind, no matter what the year brings. This start-of-the-year financial checklist is here to guide you as you align your financial decisions with your goals. Are there life events ahead?
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Chad Smith |Mike Eklund |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White
When so many conversations today are about the economy, inflation, and the stock market, it’s normal to wonder if you should change your investment strategy. You might wonder if you are investing too aggressively, or you might even think about pulling out of the market and waiting until things feel calmer. Before you decide to adjust your strategy, listen to this episode to learn 10 fundamentals to help guide your investing decisions.
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Dec 30, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Heather Gudac |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay
At Financial Symmetry, we believe that continuous learning helps us better serve our clients. Today, we’re celebrating Riley Davison and Garrison Weaver, who have taken the next step in their careers by earning the Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM (FPQP®) designation from the College for Financial Planning. This achievement is a reflection of their passion, dedication, and drive to bring even more value to our clients.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Angela Keeley-White |Allison Berger |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s easy to get swept up in the holiday rush. Before your calendar fills with gatherings and gift exchanges, here’s a financial checklist to help you wrap things up and start the new year feeling organized. Reflect on Your YearDid 2024 bring any big changes? A new job, marriage, or even retirement? Major life events can impact your financial goals, so this is a great time to review your finances and set yourself up for success in 2025.
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Nov 14, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
In recent weeks, several Wall Street market strategists have warned of lower expected returns for U.S. stocks over the next decade. Current valuations have been a common basis for these pessimistic views. The difficulty of predicting the absolute level of future stock returns over any period, particularly short periods, is well documented (see Welch and Goyal, 2021).
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Chad Smith |Grayson Blazek |Matthew Schulman |Allison Berger
An inherited IRA is essentially an IRA received by a beneficiary after the original owner passes away. Whether it’s a spouse, child, or another loved one, the key characteristic of an inherited IRA is that it transitions ownership upon death. As Grayson Blazek explains, the funds are transferred intact, but the way you handle and withdraw these funds comes with specific rules and timelines. Grayson and Matthew dig into the new rules in this episode.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Haley Modlin |Grace Kvantas |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White
What is the difference between an HSA and an FSA? Both the health savings account (HSA) and the healthcare flexible spending arrangement (FSA) are account types that help lower your taxes and help you save for healthcare expenses. You may qualify for one or the other in any given tax year based on the type of health insurance coverage you have, as well as the benefits your employer offers. These accounts have many similarities, though they also have differences that you don’t want to mix up.
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
So far, the 2024 election has provided the suspense and drama we have come to expect in presidential election years. For investors, the same questions continue to plague us as we await the winner in November. Are there signals in the movement of markets that we, as investors, should be taking advantage of? Who is better for markets? Republicans or Democrats? Will the market collapse if one candidate is elected?
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Oct 21, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
When thinking about preparing tax returns each year, many taxpayers have a binary view about the outcome that looks something like this:Owe Tax: BADReceive Refund: GOODWhile this may be the case if you are living paycheck-to-paycheck and have not accumulated wealth yet, holding on to this perspective after achieving some measure of financial success may limit your potential over the long term.
