Insights

Market Commentary: One-year Inflation Rate Accelerates and Job Openings Hit All-Time High

U.S. consumer prices continued to go up faster than normal. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) jumped 0.6% last month and has now increased 5.0% over last year (Figure 1). Used car and truck prices rose 7.3% last month and are 29.7% higher over the last year. New car prices increased 1.6%, and airline fares surged 7.0%.

Read More

Why You Might Need to Update Your Estate Plan

Watch this webinar hosted by Carson’s Vice President of Trust Services, Sarah Duey, to learn more about why you might need to update your estate plan.. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Read More

Market Commentary: Amid Hiring Challenges, Hourly Earnings Rise, Some Unemployment Benefits Cut

U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose 559,000 last month (Figure 1). This is much better than last month’s 278,000, but much lower than March’s 785,000 gain. Workers are returning to the labor force more slowly than expected. Businesses are reporting challenges in finding workers. Leisure and hospitality employment accounted for more than 50% of the job gains. Auto industry employment dropped 27,000 last month as semiconductor shortages forced plant shutdowns.

Read More

How to Use an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust in Your Estate Plan

Savvy investors keep one eye on Wall Street and one eye on Washington. One of the main topics of Capitol Hill conversations is estate taxes, specifically annual and lifetime exemption amounts. Estate taxes often take aim specifically at the high net worth crowd, who have more to pass on.

Read More

Estate Planning Checklist

No matter how few your assets or how extensive your properties, an estate plan will help you preserve your legacy and provide clarity to your surviving family. Our estate planning checklist can help you start the process and tick those important boxes on your way to confidence about the future.

Fill in the form below to download the checklist:

Download the checklist today to get started.

Market Commentary: Home Prices Surge Over Previous Year; Disposable Income Dips

U.S. home prices continued to march higher. As Figure 1 shows, they have surged 13.2%. The 20-city index has increased slightly more as cities just out of the top 10, such as Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle have experienced very rapid price appreciation. The annualized gains are in line with the 2013 peak as housing prices recovered after the financial crisis. During that rally, the 10- and 20-city indexes experienced more rapid gains than the overall index, indicating smaller cities and towns didn’t participate at the same rate. In this rally, the move toward smaller towns has boosted the national...read the full article

Read More

Upcoming Legislation and How It Impacts Your Financial Plan

Watch this webinar hosted by Carson’s Director of Retirement Research Jamie Hopkins to learn more about upcoming legislation could impact your financial plan. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Read More

Life Insurance Strategies for Business Owners

Entrepreneur and political figure Andrew Yang drew an important analogy between parenting and owning a business: “If you knew what it entailed you might not get started. But you’re glad you did.” Like parenting, owning a business involves sleepless nights, cold meals and an unbelievable amount of energy, but it’s also an enriching journey and makes life worth the trip.

Read More

Market Commentary: S&P Earnings Outperforming, Unemployment Claims Down

S&P 500 earnings were expected to be strong and turned out to be phenomenal. When the final 5% of companies report, first quarter earnings are expected to have increased 51.9%. When the quarter began, earnings growth was expected to be less than 25%. Strong earnings from consumer discretionary companies, financials, and the communication services sector all supported rapid earnings growth.

Read More

Market Commentary: A Muddled Economic Picture, Volatile Markets and Rising Inflation

 The U.S. economic picture is looking more muddled than expected. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.8% last week. Used automobile prices rose quickly in response to the semiconductor shortage limiting new car production and demographic trends boosting demand. Retail sales were expected to build on last month’s stimulus-led surge but instead were flat. Industrial production remained a bright spot, adding 0.7% last month as manufacturing demand remained strong.

Read More