Market Commentary: What a Month!

The S&P 500 gained 8.9% in November for one of its best monthly returns ever. One month ago, stocks were in a correction, fear was everywhere, and talk of a new bear market and a recession were in the news. Then a funny thing happened … stocks soared!

Facts Vs Feelings Take 5 – Welcome to the Year-End Rally

  The market saw a huge rally in November. Why do we think it will continue through the end of 2023? Join Carson Group’s Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and VP, Global Macro Strategist Sonu Varghese as they talk about the hard data behind the economy and stock market.   Highlights …

Yes, You Can Make a Solid Long-Term Care Plan: Here’s How and Why It’s Important

By Matt Lewis, CLTC®, Vice President, Insurance In today’s world it’s fair to say that most reasonable people believe they are going to live a long life. And when you live a long life, it’s also fair to say that sooner or later, we’re going to need some form of care.

Your Money

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Why You Need a Plan: Strategies for Medicare and Long-Term Care Planning

Watch our on-demand webinar, “Why You Need a Plan: Strategies for Medicare and Long-Term Care Planning” featuring Carson Group’s Vice President, Insurance Matt Lewis and Manager & Senior Wealth Planner Tom Fridrich. 

Medicare and Managing Health Care Costs in Retirement

Health care costs in retirement aren’t going anywhere. Naturally, as our bodies get older, it costs more to keep them running. And with U.S. health care spending expected to rise at a rate 1.1% faster than the annual GDP, this cost will come home to our pockets. Statistics like this m …

Why Estate Planning Matters for Everyone

Estate planning may feel like something you don’t have to worry about quite yet. The truth is that ample planning now can make everything easier for your loved ones when the time comes to put an estate plan into action. 

2023 Calendar: Key Tasks & Financial Dates

2023 Calendar: Key Tasks & Financial Dates

Tackle 2023 with this month-by-month financial task list. We’ve also included important dates so you won’t miss key deadlines.

Your Business

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Life Insurance for Business and Estate Planning

By Matt Lewis, CLTC, Vice President, Insurance Life insurance is designed to provide for your loved ones after your death, giving you peace of mind that their financial needs will be met without your income. But life insurance can benefit your financial planning in many other ways.

Building Your Ideal Business Succession Plan

By Odaro Aisueni, CFP®, Wealth Planning Administrator As a small business owner, you’re likely so immersed in the routine functions of your business that you haven’t yet put much thought into the day you leave it behind. In fact, most small business owners have so much purpose t …

5 Common Business Exit Planning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

By Elizabeth Schanou, JD, CExPTM , Senior Wealth Planner  Succession planning – or more accurately “business exit planning” – is a critical process that has weighty implications for small business owners. There are two key goals: You want to ensure a seamless transition that will pres …

Business Succession Planning Checklist

Business Succession Planning Checklist

You remember your first day of business. But what about your last day? Succession planning is more complex than it may seem. Our guide walks you through the details.

Your Retirement

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Yes, You Can Make a Solid Long-Term Care Plan: Here’s How and Why It’s Important

By Matt Lewis, CLTC®, Vice President, Insurance In today’s world it’s fair to say that most reasonable people believe they are going to live a long life. And when you live a long life, it’s also fair to say that sooner or later, we’re going to need some form of care.

Medicare and Managing Health Care Costs in Retirement

Health care costs in retirement aren’t going anywhere. Naturally, as our bodies get older, it costs more to keep them running. And with U.S. health care spending expected to rise at a rate 1.1% faster than the annual GDP, this cost will come home to our pockets. Statistics like this m …

Medicare Time – Now What? Things to Know as You Start Out

By Matt Lewis, CLTC®, Vice President, Insurance You’re turning 65 this year and Medicare is on your mind. Medicare is a subset of Social Security and run by the Social Security Administration. In my experience, it may be almost as complicated as the Internal Revenue Code! With that said, le …

7 Important Retirement Savings Topics for 2023

7 Important Retirement Savings Topics for 2023

See the topics that are important to keep in mind as you navigate the various individual and employer-sponsored plans that may be available to you.

Your Legacy

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Why You Need a Plan: Strategies for Medicare and Long-Term Care Planning

Watch our on-demand webinar, “Why You Need a Plan: Strategies for Medicare and Long-Term Care Planning” featuring Carson Group’s Vice President, Insurance Matt Lewis and Manager & Senior Wealth Planner Tom Fridrich. 

The Benefits & Purpose of a Trust in Estate Planning

By Beth Schanou, JD, CExP, Senior Wealth Planner Clients frequently ask whether they should leave their assets in a trust. My answer: It depends. If your net worth plus the death benefit of life insurance policies you own exceeds $13 million, putting your assets in specific types of trusts …

Why Estate Planning Matters for Everyone

Estate planning may feel like something you don’t have to worry about quite yet. The truth is that ample planning now can make everything easier for your loved ones when the time comes to put an estate plan into action. 

A Guide to Gifting to Your Heirs

A Guide to Gifting to Your Heirs

Gifting to your loved ones now or posthumously each carries their own positives and negatives as they relate to your estate plan, taxes, your goals and your legacy.

Your Freedom

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7 Economic Myths Busted

By Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist We’ve been hearing many of the same myths over and over, yet we don’t think they are the big worry that the media and many make them out to be. These are legitimate concerns and have many investors worried, but we think the chances of them becoming l …

Investing in Your Child’s Financial Future: Helping Kids Develop Strong Money Management Skills

Gaining financial literacy at a young age is a vital key to finding financial freedom later in life. Give your kids the lessons they need now to make better decisions about money in the future.

Financial Resolutions to Take Into the New Year

Tom Fridrich, JD, CLU, ChFC®, Senior Wealth Planner Thinking about making some New Year’s resolutions? Add financial wellbeing to your list. It’s a terrific time to identify goals and opportunities that may put you in a better financial position — not only in the upcoming year, …

When Shifting Goals Mean Shifting Plans

When Shifting Goals Mean Shifting Plans

Your financial plan shouldn't look the same at 55 as it did when you were 35, right? So how do you know when it's time to adjust your plan?

Market & Investments

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Market Commentary: What a Month!

The S&P 500 gained 8.9% in November for one of its best monthly returns ever. One month ago, stocks were in a correction, fear was everywhere, and talk of a new bear market and a recession were in the news. Then a funny thing happened … stocks soared!

Facts Vs Feelings Take 5 – Welcome to the Year-End Rally

  The market saw a huge rally in November. Why do we think it will continue through the end of 2023? Join Carson Group’s Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and VP, Global Macro Strategist Sonu Varghese as they talk about the hard data behind the economy and stock market.   Highlights …

Market Commentary: Reasons To Be Thankful

We hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. We wanted to take some time this week to go over a few reasons for investors to be thankful.

2023 Market Outlook Report

2023 Market Outlook Report

Just because 2022 was a poor year for stocks and bonds doesn’t mean the same will be true for 2023. See why the Carson Research team believes there are reasons to be optimistic in 2023.

In the News

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How to Retire in 2023

If you’re thinking about retiring this year, there are steps you can start carrying out before you step away from work. You’ll want to think through financial decisions and set up plans for the coming years. It can also be helpful to consider your priorities in retirement as you shift into …

4 Richer Alternatives to Savings Accounts

“Save, save, save!” This is core advice from every finance pro in the world — and for good reason. Without savings, we’re out of luck in an emergency — or even when it comes to planning for a retirement, a home purchase or even a vacation.

Inflation eased to 6.5%, but prices are still high, as are fears of a recession. So here are 10 money moves to consider in 2023

Though inflation continues to cool, projections still point to elevated consumer prices in the year ahead. What’s more, recession threats remain high, unemployment may rise and investors are still reeling from stock and bond indexes falling double digits in 2022. So experts say a strategic …