Posts by safeguard
Retirement Withdrawal Strategies
As hard as retirement saving and investing may seem, that’s the easy part. The real challenge is figuring out how to make your accumulated savings last throughout your and your spouse’s retirements. You need a strategy, and it’s best to have that strategy developed before retirement begins. Because life expectancy is longer these days,…
Read More21st Century Tree -Hugging Strategies
The phrase “tree hugger” refers to an environmentalist who advocates for the preservation of woodlands. Its original historical reference is to an incident that occurred in India in 1730, when local villagers literally hugged trees in an effort to prevent foresters from chopping them down for materials to build a palace. In doing so, more…
Read MoreTax Strategies
In an effort to pay for new legislation, the Biden administration has proposed higher taxes for the nation’s highest earners. The president advocates returning the top tax rate to 39.6% for individuals earning $452,700 or more, and married couples with more than $509,300 in combined taxable income.1 This top tax rate was just…
Read MoreRanking the World’s Nations
What’s the best country? After several years at No. 2, Canada leads the globe, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Countries” rankings for 2021. It’s followed by Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the United States.1 The criteria used to make Best Country determinations included quality of life, agility, entrepreneurship, an “open for…
Read MoreThe Job Market in the Post-Pandemic Era
According to the most recent Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, 50% of employees will need new skills training by 2025 as the pace of technological innovation continues to grow. Among business leaders, 94% say they expect employees to learn new skills while on the job, compared to just 65% who made…
Read MoreWhat’s Driving Oil Prices?
Oil prices are influenced by supply and demand, and 2020 was a great demonstration of this principle. With global and local shutdowns due to the spread of the coronavirus, there was less demand for products and services. While online shopping was up, foot traffic in stores languished and retailers – both local and nationwide –…
Read MoreThe COVID Vaccine, 50 Years in the Making
Back in the 1970s, a Hungarian scientist named Katalin Kariko began working on mRNA therapeutics, but her research was believed to be too radical and a financial risk. Years later, she moved to the U.S. and found better support. It was then that Kariko developed a vaccine approach using synthetic mRNA, which became the basis…
Read MoreInvestment Consolidation Strategies
Throughout investment industry and financial media sources we constantly hear the message that our money should be diversified. By spreading assets throughout a number of different vehicles, we can take advantage of various market opportunities while helping protect them from some investment risks. But how much diversification is too much? And what exactly should…
Read MoreA Shot for Economic Improvement
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ongoing distribution of vaccines combined with the latest government stimulus is expected to jumpstart economic activity in the U.S. However, projections for sustainable growth are not equitable among various countries and business sectors. Faster and more effective vaccination deployment across the world is critical.…
Read MoreWealth and Income
Spectrem Group’s recent Market Insights Report found that millionaire investors in the U.S. achieved a new record last year. The number of households with a net worth ranging between $1 million and $5 million (excluding primary residence) increased by 600,000, reaching 11.6 million in 2020. Furthermore:1 The number of households with a net worth…
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