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.

Unanticipated loopholes in a property and casualty insurance policy can cause major headaches for investors and claimants alike. Whether it's ambiguous language in a policy that's construed against the insurance provider or a miscommunication as to how deductibles will be applied, these problems can be expensive and time-consuming to unravel. What three things should investors carefully analyze when reviewing a property and casualty insurance policy?

We've aggregated the various publications where Brown & Company has been featured in the news in recent months. We are grateful for the opportunities to speak with journalists to help educate readers on timely financial topics. Here are the most recent media interviews we have done:

Thanks to Brian O'Connell at the Street.com for the opportunity to discuss our thoughts on asset allocation (here).

This is the latest in a continuing series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally.

Today's low interest rates are a far cry from the double-digit rates seen in the 1970s and 1980s when even a certificate of deposit (CD) could yield up to 20 percent per year.¹ But there are some distinct advantages to a low-interest-rate environment, and now is a great time to look into some tax-saving estate planning strategies. Learn more about how intra-family loans, charitable trusts, and certain installment sales can help you transfer assets while helping reduce your tax liability.

If you're like a lot of people, you've been thinking, "why is the stock market doing so well when the news is so grim and the economy is still struggling?" To understand what's going on, let's compare the stock market to college football. Think of the S&P 500 Index as being made up of the Big Five and then you have all the rest of the 495 "teams."