Zephyr Blog

After a sharp waterfall drop in March, major equity markets advanced strongly in the second quarter. Following the Dow Jones Industrial Average's (DJIA) worst first quarter ever the index posted its best second quarter performance since 1938 rising over 17%. The S&P 500 ended the quarter up 20%, achieving its largest quarterly gain since 1998. Click here to read more

On December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was signed into law.  This new legislation made major changes to a number of tax rules that govern retirement savings. Many of these changes started in 2020 and some of the details are still being finalized. Click here to read more

It is extremely important that we all take our retirement into our own hands. The concept of not preparing and relying on a government-sponsored retirement might not be the best plan. Financial woes combined with the fact that the U.S. population is continuing to age, means that there are fewer working-aged people remaining to contribute to our Social Security systems. On a positive note, strong retirement savings can not only help you, but it could potentially help your family and loved ones. With today’s retirement challenges, more people are using retirement vehicles as a healthy way to help family members. Click here to read more

No one expected the longest bull market in history to see its demise brought on by a virus. While U.S. equity markets were able to withstand a trade war with China, a presidential impeachment, the potential for a global recession, and global uncertainty, including Brexit and civil wars in the Middle East, the U.S. economy was ambushed by a silent and highly contagious virus. Click here to read more

After an 11-year bull market, the longest in history, equity markets have entered into bear market territory. A bear market is defined as a downward move of 20% from a recent high and as of today all three major U.S. indexes (DJIA, S&P 500, and NASDAQ) have reached those levels.  click here to read more

The last few days of February created confusing and turbulent times for investors.  The rough stock market fluctuations created a rollercoaster-type of ride that has attracted almost every media outlet.  During this time period, the S&P 500 had its worst day since 2011, as it presented a historic streak of negative moves... click here to read more

Tax planning should always be a key focus when reviewing your personal financial situation. One of our goals as financial professionals is to point out as many tax savings opportunities and strategies as possible for our clients click here to read more

As we look back and reflect on what was predicted by many to be a year of worry and concern, equity markets advanced heavily in 2019 and investors were rewarded.  The final month of the year brought several new highs for both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).click here to read more

Welcome to 2020!  We hope that you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season.  Each New Year symbolically offers the opportunity to make a fresh start for everyone.

Once again, our primary goal this year is to continue our tradition of helping clients achieve their personal financial goals.  To make that process more efficient, we send our clients the attached convenient 2020 CHECKLIST so they can identify any items they anticipate needing our help with this year. click here to read more

One of our main goals as holistic financial advisors is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing tax environment is a key component necessary to help our clients benefit from potential tax reduction strategies. click here to read more

After some concerns and declines during the summer, major equity markets showed advances in the month of September and finished positive for the third quarter of 2019. 

Some prominent investment themes from earlier in the year continued to surface in the third quarter producing volatile trading, but at the quarter’s end had no real impact. The U.S.-China trade conflict continued to capture investors’ attentions and fluctuated equity markets. click here to read more

Retirement! Most Americans get excited about the day they no longer have to go to work to earn an income. No more bosses, no more meetings to attend, no more schedules to keep, no more stress that even the best of jobs can create. Retirement can be the beginning of an entirely new lifestyle. click here to read more

What if you gave a party and nobody came? The U.S. economy is finding out as we speak. The expansion that began in July 2009 turns ten years old this month, and no one seems to care. An expansion and bull market that have been derided from the get-go as “artificial,” “manufactured,” and “propped up by money printing” continues to be unloved, yet manages to keep chugging along like the Energizer bunny. click here to read more

The House of Representatives passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act on May 23. The next step is to pass through the Senate and be signed by the President.  With strong bipartisan support and the Senate already considering changes for retirement plans... click here to read more

During the first three months of 2019, investors had a lot to cheer about as U.S. equity markets came roaring back to life after a fall off the prior quarter.  This helped many of the major indexes to recoup a good portion of the losses that they suffered in the final months of 2018  click here to read more

Tax planning should always be a key focus when reviewing your personal financial situation. One of our goals as financial professionals is to point out as many tax savings opportunities and strategies as possible for our clients. click here to read more

   After a long period of respectable returns, many investors in equities during the fourth quarter of 2018 experienced losses. This fourth quarter was filled with a great deal of uncertainty, which is the equity markets least favorite scenario. Major concerns included interest rate hikes and trade wars. Click hear to read more.

A Tool to Maximize Tax Efficiency or Start Your Children or Grandchildren on Their Way Toward a Healthier Retirement

Paying taxes is so engrained in our lives that many people do not even think about tax reduction until it’s time to file their tax returns. Unfortunately, by that point it’s usually too late to implement a strategy for minimizing their tax bill. Click Here to Read More

The Zephyr Team would like to thank everyone that attended our Navy Seal Event at Nonna on May 1st.  It really is a joy for us to gather with our clients outside of the office, and to do something fun or out of the ordinary.  We hope to see you at our next event!

Sincerely,

The Zephyr Team: 
Cher, Marsha, Vanessa, Janet and Tami