The story of the American consumer begins with their financial buffer, and recent trends in the personal savings rate show that cushion steadily thinning. As the chart below illustrates, households have moved from an elevated post-pandemic savings environment into a period marked by persistently lower savings behavior. Consumers are therefore increasingly reliant on credit, wage growth, or asset appreciation to maintain spending momentum—leaving them more exposed to shocks in

Highlights of this Special Edition Newsletter: Year-End Tax Planning Update: Key Changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill What Changed for 2025 Taxes Planning Implications for Clients Looking Ahead to 2026 Supporting Our Communities Tax Season Reminder for IRA and Roth IRA Holders Year-End Tax Planning Update: Key Changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill AS TAX SEASON APPROACHES and year-end planning concludes, a major piece of federal tax legislation warrants your attention. T

The stock and bond markets performed well in 2025, helping to keep personal financial plans on track.  Those plans take each investor’s life situation, goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon into consideration to meet their investment and financial goals.  As is typical in most years, the stock market underwent a significant correction during the year, dropping 19% from mid-February to mid-April.  While it may be tempting to make sudden portfolio changes based on recent perf

October brings the start of the third quarter earnings reporting season, and with 65% of the S&P 500 companies reporting, revenue and earnings growth have been 8% and 11%, respectively. Fourth quarter earnings are expected to rise 7.3% year over year, helping to no doubt support a U.S. stock market that has hit record highs this year. And at its October meeting, the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark overnight borrowing rate to a range of 3.75%-4.00%. The Fed also announce

Highlights of this Special Edition Newsletter: LVM’s Year-End Financial Planning Checklist Social Security: Why Waiting Often Pays Off...