Encouraging context for volatile quarters
By Kyle Tetting
At the halfway point, 2020 has been a disappointing year for investors. “Disappointing” might not be strong enough to describe the economy or many other measures of the year so far, but for investors, it’s fitting—with a little perspective.
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Money Talk News
First time since 2009: Recession
The National Bureau of Economic Research wasted no time declaring a downturn for the U.S. economy. […]
Venturing out after hunkering down
By Kyle Tetting
As the divergence between positive and negative headlines narrows along with the range of our expectations for the future, the fits and starts of a recovery begin to smooth. […]
Preparing for what comes next
By Kyle Tetting
Stocks are typically a poor representation of the current condition. And, with plenty of uncertainty about the future, it makes sense to put the latest rally in perspective. […]
Staying ready for uncertainty
By Joel Dresang
Like news editors, investors can plan and prepare with the best information available at the time, but they cannot foresee every possible cataclysm. […]
Keeping balance in unnerving times
By Bob Landaas
These are certainly trying times for investors. As the novel coronavirus spreads, significant sectors of the U.S. economy have either slowed or shut down. The plunge in stock prices has unnerved even seasoned, long-term investors. […]
Featured Articles
Mortgage debt in retirement: Worth a talk By Joel Dresang
In our 30 years as homeowners, my wife and I have had occasional conversations about the urgency of retiring our mortgage. Math always settles it: At a fixed rate below 4%, our home loan is costing us less than the average 6%-7% a year that balanced investments have returned historically. […]
For What It’s Worth: Mortgage By Joel Dresang
We associate the clause “till death do us part” with a marriage vow. Etymologically, though, it should be part of a mortgage. […]
Income, tax holiday for older retirees As part of the $2 trillion initiative to stimulate the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has suspended required minimum distributions for calendar year 2020. That means retirees in their 70s who were supposed to withdraw money from tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as IRAs can skip a year, thus avoiding the income tax they’d have to pay on such withdrawals. […]
Spend to save the economy By Joel Dresang
The economy’s reliance on consumer spending is exactly why Congress included provisions to put money in citizens’ pockets as part of the $2.2 trillion rescue package it passed in March. That’s how $2,400 got from the U.S. Treasury to our checking account. Now, it’s our patriotic duty to put that money to work. […]
Holding the fort for clients and colleagues Most of the Landaas & Company staff have been able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a core of 11 employees continues going to the office to answer phones, process mail, prepare reports and administer documents. Their efforts are crucial to enabling the remote work of the rest of the firm. […]