LPL Research reviews an incredible earnings season and speculates on a potentially strong earnings rebound for 2021 and beyond. Find out more in today’s Weekly Market Commentary, available at 1 p.m. ET.

We like this recent blog out of LPL research and thought we would share with you…it will sound familiar as of our most recent client note from Mark.

On average, a new lawsuit is filed every two seconds in the United States. But few of us seriously consider the possibility of a lawsuit or other legal action against us in our daily lives. The vast majority of lawsuit defendants never thought it would happen to them.

Kelly and Bob regularly set aside a small portion of their budget for charitable donations. In addition to feeling good about supporting a number of worthy causes, they’ve been able to deduct the value of their charitable gifts from their Federal income tax return. Now, the couple thinks it is time to make a larger charitable contribution. Their intention is to donate some stock they purchased years ago for $1,000 that has since increased in value to $50,000.

We all love stories of originality and innovation. Who isn’t inspired by the entrepreneur who was willing to risk it all and, against all odds, succeeded? We all want to hear about the person with strong convictions who swam against the tide, and we want to copy the traits of successful entrepreneurs.

If we're fortunate enough, there comes a point in our lives when we begin thinking less about the things we are doing today and more about the things we want to leave behind. The idea of creating a meaningful and enduring legacy is a powerful one.

Interest rates remain near all-time lows. Since September of 1981, the Federal Reserve has guided 10-year Treasury rates from a peak of 15.84% to a low of 0.55% in July of 2020.¹ This decline has been engineered in keeping with the Fed's "dual mandate" to manage employment rates and inflation through rate adjustments; using rate hikes to cool economic activity, and rate reductions to energize it.

Keats was actually explaining his thoughts on the creative process. He believed that the most creative people are those who can suspend their own proclivity to judge and instead simply observe and experience. They are humble enough to believe that they can learn from others who hold very different viewpoints and beliefs.

As we approach the end of the year, it is always beneficial to establish and review financial goals to determine whether any additional actions should be taken. Here are the top 10 year-end planning ideas that we discuss with our clients that should consider.

With the year rapidly coming to a close, and the upcoming tax year looming with uncertainties, you should consider updating your tax strategy to best preserve your assets into the future. Don't wait until the end of the tax year to make these adjustments. Check out some of the tax strategies below then reach out to your financial professional now so you’re prepared for any potential tax changes in the New Year.

As a wealth management firm, our objective is to not only help clients reach their goals, but also define those goals as well. For instance, if one of your goals is to retire at age 62, we could not help you actually achieve that goal unless we know what “retirement” means to you. Often that means redefining retirement.

In the month leading up to the election, we held our Fall Lecture Series of webinars (click here to watch the replays). Now, we want to provide our commentary on what has transpired since Election Day and consider how that might impact the markets going forward.

If you are trying to figure out how much you need to save for retirement or determine how much life insurance you should have, financial rules of thumb can be a helpful starting point.

For today’s business owner, continuation and estate planning go hand-in-hand. Without proper tax strategies, the time, hard work, and money you’ve invested in your business could yield little more than a significant tax bill for your heirs. Fortunately, with careful planning, there are numerous ways of reducing your family’s tax burden while keeping your business intact.

Estate documents should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are up-to-date and still adequately express your wishes pertaining to the distribution of your estate. We believe there are five key estate planning questions to consider.

There comes a point in time when almost every small business owner contemplates the future of his or her business. Because the business typically is a substantial asset, an owner must address a number of estate planning issues that will affect the future stability of the company. A business succession plan is a comprehensive look at the estate planning picture that can include everything from shareholder buy-sell agreements to management plans, and any other documentation that will help ensure the smooth operation of the business. While traditional estate plans are designed with tax minimization in mind, business succession planning, in addition to such considerations, is aimed at maintaining the future health of the business.

Brown and Company is introducing a new series of webinars this fall where we will consider implications of the upcoming election. We have titled this 2020 Fall Lecture Series: How the Election Could Affect Planning & Investing. Each of our calls will feature a different expert who will address potential changes and considerations for planning and investing going forward. To join an upcoming presentation, just click on the link to register.