Roger L. Merrill

Market Update for the Month Ending February 28, 2021 Presented by Roger Merrill   Markets Rebound in February After a weak January, equity markets rebounded in February, despite some late-month volatility driven by a spike in U.S. interest rates. The S&P 500...

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) With news and alerts constantly buzzing on our handheld devices, it is difficult to maintain a steady disposition in our investing. This outside noise can create a fear of missing out (FOMO). It is hard to ignore when others brag about their...

What's Going on with GameStop? Market news concerning GameStop, AMC, & other volatile stocks has been prevalent over the past week. Curiosity in the stock market has been piqued. Is now the time to follow the herd and start speculating on individual stocks? Trying...

Thoughts on the Market during Election Time In the midst of election noise, many investors may overreact and make poor investment decisions. We recognize the deep emotions people feel when it comes to politics, and we don't want to minimize the importance of the...

There Are Always Reasons Not to Invest   Every day, we are bombarded with pessimistic and unsettling news. This leads us to wonder about our investments and how they will be affected. A white paper from the Hartford Funds illustrates the need to stay invested despite...

Investing & Presidential Elections  With the US presidential election less than three months away, many investors worry about the impact the election will have on their portfolios. A recent article from Commonwealth's CIO Brad McMillan gives us a few insights to...

There's No Proven Way to Time the Market  With headlines grabbing our attention during this volatile year, we may be tempted to jump in and out of the market. We must remember the wisdom of Warren Buffett, who said: "The stock market is a device for transferring money...

Christopher Columbus and Compound Interest “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn't … pays it.” (Albert Einstein) In 1492 Christopher Columbus decided to save for retirement. He had just one penny to invest...

Items to Consider   When uncertainty abounds, our natural instinct is to do something.  We want to make a change that will improve our situation.  In investing, this inclination to act can be problematic if done based on fear rather than reason.  Below, we've listed...

RMDs & QCDs (Donating Directly to Charity) The IRS requires taxpayers over age 70½ to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from their IRAs each year.  This forced IRA distribution adds ‘taxable income’ –thus increasing the amount of taxes you pay to Uncle...