Insights

Upcoming Legislation and How It Impacts Your Financial Plan

Watch this webinar hosted by Carson’s Director of Retirement Research Jamie Hopkins to learn more about upcoming legislation could impact your financial plan. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

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Life Insurance Strategies for Business Owners

Entrepreneur and political figure Andrew Yang drew an important analogy between parenting and owning a business: “If you knew what it entailed you might not get started. But you’re glad you did.” Like parenting, owning a business involves sleepless nights, cold meals and an unbelievable amount of energy, but it’s also an enriching journey and makes life worth the trip.

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Market Commentary: S&P Earnings Outperforming, Unemployment Claims Down

S&P 500 earnings were expected to be strong and turned out to be phenomenal. When the final 5% of companies report, first quarter earnings are expected to have increased 51.9%. When the quarter began, earnings growth was expected to be less than 25%. Strong earnings from consumer discretionary companies, financials, and the communication services sector all supported rapid earnings growth.

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Market Commentary: A Muddled Economic Picture, Volatile Markets and Rising Inflation

 The U.S. economic picture is looking more muddled than expected. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.8% last week. Used automobile prices rose quickly in response to the semiconductor shortage limiting new car production and demographic trends boosting demand. Retail sales were expected to build on last month’s stimulus-led surge but instead were flat. Industrial production remained a bright spot, adding 0.7% last month as manufacturing demand remained strong.

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How Life Insurance Should Fit Into Your Financial Plan

Watch this webinar hosted by Carson’s Director of Retirement Research Jamie Hopkins and Vice President of Insurance Matt Lewis to learn more about how life insurance should fit into your financial plan. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

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Market Commentary: April Jobs Report Disappoints, Falling Short of Expectations

 The U.S. job market added only 266,000 jobs in April, missing expectations of nearly 1 million. March’s gain of more than 900,000 new jobs was revised down to 770,000. The data show the U.S. job market slowed rather than accelerated in April. The leisure and hospitality industry experienced the biggest gains, adding more than 331,000 jobs. Unemployment increased to 6.1% as more workers reentered the labor force and more people became fully vaccinated. The timelier initial jobless claims report fell below 500,000 for the first time since the pandemic began.

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What You Need to Know About Insurance

We put together a fact sheet “What You Need to Know About Insurance” to help you determine if you have the right insurance coverage for your and your family’s needs. We’ll look at life insurance, homeowner’s insurance, medical insurance and more to help answer your questions:

• What is it?
• Who does it benefit?
• How much does it cost?
• How does it work with your financial plan?

Fill out the form below to download “What You Need to Know About Insurance.”

Download the checklist today to get started.

Managing Your Wealth with Life Insurance through Life Stages

Life insurance can be confusing. It’s a protection tool for your family, but can also be an investment tool. Your beneficiaries get the payout when you die, but you can draw funds from it while you’re still alive.

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Market Commentary: GDP Surges After Stimulus, Fed Reiterates Low Interest Rates

 U.S. GDP surged an annualized 6.4% in the first quarter (Figure 1). Two rounds of government stimulus helped the economy climb within 0.9% of its all-time high. If expected growth is included, the economy remains 3.7% below pre-COVID trends. Personal income jumped 21.1% from February as a second round of stimulus checks pushed money out to most Americans. Spending increased as well, but not as much as income. Personal consumption rose 4.2%, and services consumption, hindered by COVID concerns, rose only 2.2%.

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How to Fit the Kids’ College into Your Financial Plan

There is a strong premium on earning a college degree, perhaps driven by previous generations who witnessed the power of education. But you may find yourself receiving a student loan bill every month, even now as you contemplate sending your kids to college. Though an education continues to pay dividends, the amount owed can seem insurmountable.

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