Rules that went into effect January 1, 2018, set out by the European Commission, “Mifid II,” prevent investors in the European Economic Area from investing in U.S. domiciled exchange-traded funds (ETFs), among others. Americans living in Europe are also finding themselves affected as they may have or will start to see their brokers limit access to these financial products. This greatly limits investor’s options, as Europe finds every way to keep investors’ money within the union. Not all brokers are complying with these rules yet and there may still be time to open new ETF positions. However, understand that their compliance may just be around the corner, forcing you to change your approach

Senator Schumer accused President Trump of having temper tantrums. This also is a good description of the markets in recent weeks. The S&P 500 dropped by an amount not seen since the 2008 financial crisis, putting us at -12% for the year. And more tantrums are expected. On Friday, President Trump warned that he might fire Federal Reserve Chairman, Jay Powell, although the White House since rebuked that. This comes after a surprise quarter point rise of the short-term interest rate controlled by the Fed, accurately citing low unemployment and improved economic conditions. However, according to NY Fed, John Williams, the Federal Reserve usually takes action with market conditions in-mind. This

As we come to a close on another gyrating year, when it comes to tax tips, this time it’s different. With the launch of the Trump tax plan January 1, 2018, the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act” implemented material changes. One significant example is that it removed personal exemptions and increased the standard deduction. This means that if you were once itemizing, you may no longer. It’s also worth noting that most of these changes sunset in 2024, making this decade a potential windfall for high income earners with low deductions. If you find yourself not in this category, you may still benefit, and if not, here are some things that you can do to improve your tax situation even more: Retirement plan c

Investopedia describes a recession as a “significant decline in economic activity that goes on for more than a few months”^1. This does not describe the current environment. While stocks have reached an epochal point of volatility not seen since 2008, the US economy continues to show strength. Setting aside for a moment the developing trade and political crisis that we’re facing, global unemployment reached significant new lows and consumer confidence continues to increase, pushing the Federal Reserve to maintain a momentum of increasing rates. Bad news has its way on stocks that can cause significant damage in the short-term. Fundamentals such as increasing corporate profits, productivity,

Investors saw relief as the Federal Reserve Chairman corrected statements suggesting that they will slow the pace of further rate rises. The S&P ended up 4.20% higher last week, putting the year-to-date gain at about 3%. This comes after a month of market volatility that hasn’t been seen since Sept., 2011; investors’ emotions have been tried and tested. Some investors look the other way while others make failed-attempts to save their portfolio from short-term losses, only leaving them on the sidelines as the market recovers. According to TheBalance.com, “It’s been academically proven that a disciplined approach to investing delivers higher market returns. Yeah, it’s boring; but it works. If