Market Commentary: Stocks Rise Ahead of Big Fed Decision
Stocks Bounce Back Following the worst week since March 2023 for the S&P 500 in the first week of September, the index soared 4.1% last week and was higher all five days of the week, completing a perfect week. Interestingly, August also had a perfect week, making this the first time sin …
Managing Your Wealth (and Sanity) in an Election Year
Are you wondering what impact the election year will have on your investments? Managing your wealth probably isn’t as convoluted by the election as you might think. Our Managing Your Wealth (and Sanity) in an Election Year Webinar hosted by leading voices in the financial services space, …
Facts Vs Feelings Take 5 – Buckle Up, Volatility Could Be Coming
Seasonal market volatility is here. Historically, September is the worst month of the year for the stock market. Carson Group’s Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and VP, Global Macro Strategist Sonu Varghese share their insights about what investors can expect. Highlights include: Sept …
Your Money
More3 Methods to Not Run Out of Money
What’s the #1 fear in retirement? Running out of money. Get our step-by-step guide to help ensure your assets last a lifetime. Download Guide
4 Pitfalls of Not Having a Financial Plan
There are some things in life you just can’t plan for: an unexpected illness, job loss, death of spouse, disability. And while experiencing one of these major events can drastically impact your life, having an effective financial plan can help ensure that it doesn’t ruin your financial well-being.
Mastering Your Finances: A Guide for New College Graduates
Congratulations, recent college graduate! You’ve worked hard to earn your degree, and now you’re ready to embark on the next chapter of your life. This is an exciting time – one filled with lots of changes, like starting a new career and learning how to manage living on your own …
2024 Calendar: Key Tasks & Financial Dates
Tackle 2024 with this month-by-month financial task list. We’ve also included important dates so you won’t miss any key deadlines.
Your Business
MoreLife Insurance Strategies for Business Owners
Owning a business can be like parenting. You’ve likely experienced many sleepless nights and spent a countless amount of energy on your “baby.” Like parenting, being a business owner can be an enriching journey and make life worth the trip.
From Tax Efficiency to Retirement: Financial Planning for Small Business Owners
Financial planning for a small business gets more complicated every day. Business owners must navigate tax efficiency (and life under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act), retirement preparations for yourself and your employees, and succession planning. Get your financial plan in place today and …
8 Financial Planning Tips for Small Business Owners
Running a small business involves juggling multiple responsibilities. Managing the business’s finances is one of the most crucial aspects. Proper financial management can be the difference between a thriving business and one that struggles to stay afloat. Here are eight essential financial …
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
MoreManaging Your Wealth (and Sanity) in an Election Year
Are you wondering what impact the election year will have on your investments? Managing your wealth probably isn’t as convoluted by the election as you might think. Our Managing Your Wealth (and Sanity) in an Election Year Webinar hosted by leading voices in the financial services space, …
When Should I Sign Up for Medicare
Medicare can be a confusing topic for many. You can’t simply sign up anytime you want – and your enrollment timeframe can depend on a variety of factors. To help you figure out when your eligibility begins, we have put together the following flowchart. Download the checklist today to …
5 Tips for Getting the Right Medicare Coverage This Open Enrollment Season
Navigating Medicare can be a daunting task, especially with the numerous plans and options available. However, choosing the right Medicare plan is crucial to ensure that you have the coverage you need as you move into retirement. Whether you’re enrolling for the first time or consider …
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. Let's look at the parts of this vital program and how it plays a part in your financial plan.
Your Legacy
MoreChoosing the Right Trustee for Your Estate Plan
One of the most important decisions you’ll make when designing your estate plan is who to name in the various fiduciary roles: trustee, personal representative, executor and agent. While a critical decision, it’s often given significantly less thought than the distribution of your assets. B …
Revocable Living Trusts as part of an Estate Plan
Our latest webinar, Revocable Living Trusts as part of an Estate Plan with Carson Group’s Director, Trust Services Scott Berryman and Manager & Sr. Wealth Planner Tom Fridrich is now available for viewing on-demand.
Estate Planning
Often, people believe that estate planning only benefits the very wealthy, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s something everyone needs to engage in regardless of age, estate size or marital status. If you have a bank account, investments, a car, home or other property—you hav …
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
More7 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
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
MoreMarket Commentary: Stocks Rise Ahead of Big Fed Decision
Stocks Bounce Back Following the worst week since March 2023 for the S&P 500 in the first week of September, the index soared 4.1% last week and was higher all five days of the week, completing a perfect week. Interestingly, August also had a perfect week, making this the first time sin …
Facts Vs Feelings Take 5 – Buckle Up, Volatility Could Be Coming
Seasonal market volatility is here. Historically, September is the worst month of the year for the stock market. Carson Group’s Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and VP, Global Macro Strategist Sonu Varghese share their insights about what investors can expect. Highlights include: Sept …
Market Commentary: Slow Start to Historically Worst Month of the Year
The Worst Month of the Year We noted last week that September was historically a rough one for stocks and after one week, that is playing out, as stocks just had their worst week since the Regional Bank crisis in March 2023. But let’s look at the bigger picture before we dive into the minu …
2023 Market Outlook Report
Will the bull market continue in 2024? What about a recession? What will the Fed do? We take a deep dive into our outlook for 2024 in Carson Investment Research’s Outlook ‘24: Seeing Eye to Eye.
In the News
More3 Roth Conversion Traps To Avoid After The SECURE Act
Roth conversions can be a powerful tax and retirement planning technique. The idea behind most Roth conversions is to take money from an IRA and convert it to a Roth IRA. Essentially, you’re paying taxes today instead of paying taxes in the future.
10 Common Estate Planning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Estate planning and end of life planning are about taking control of your situation. Death and long-term care later in life might be hard to fathom right now, but we can’t put off planning out of fear of the unknown or because it’s unpleasant. Don’t wait for life to happen to you, though.
4 Ways To Improve Your Estate Plan
Most people want to plan for a good life and a good retirement, so why not plan for a good end of life, too? Let’s look at four ways you can refine your estate plan, protect your assets and create a level of control and certainty for your loved ones.