In the last year, low interest rates have become the norm as the Fed has used them to combat the economic effects of the Coronavirus. This can make it challenging for investments like CDs, your savings accounts – even high yield accounts – to make enough to outpace inflation. That means that your money is essentially becoming less valuable over time, which gives you less buying power. Let’s talk about some strategies you can use in a low interest rate environment. Bonds are really the classic vehicle for generating income. On the downside, they will fluctuate with interest rate moves and have default risk. But they can generate income and serve as a ballast in a portfolio when equity values are volatile. Individual bonds may be difficult to buy, but bond mutual funds and ETFs can offer diversity and make the process easier and more cost efficient. One of the things that you can do is to create a bond ladder – so you’re investing in bonds that mature at different times or over a certain period. And, as these mature, you reinvest them in a new bond. That way you are constantly earning a return higher than what you may find at most banks and as interest rates change, you are taking advantage of the latest and hopefully highest rates available. Another option is Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, often known as
As we get into tax season, filing for 2020 is fundamentally different from most tax years, especially in light of Covid and the stimulus packages passed last year. We thought it would be helpful to share a few general tax tips to keep in mind as you’re working with your tax advisor. The first thing to consider is the tax stimulus credits. The EIP (Economic Impact Payment, aka stimulus check) is actually a 2020 tax credit that was advanced to taxpayers as part of the Cares Act. Certain qualifications, such as income levels and dependency status, impact the amount the taxpayer may receive. The first round allowed for a maximum of $1200 per qualifying adult and $500 per qualifying dependent child (age 16 and under). The second round allowed for $600 per adult and $600 for dependents 16 and under. Another consideration during 2020 tax preparation is the group of taxpayers caught in in-between – taxpayers age 17 and over, usually high school and college children still claimed as dependents by their parent. When filing 2020 tax returns, parents and their dependents need to consider whether it makes sense to still claim the dependent child. Parents may phase out of education tax credits, the child may have graduated during the tax year but still eligible to be claimed, or perhaps 529 plan money was used to pay college expenses. In those cases it may be better for the child to claim themselves to take advantage of the education credits and quali