Beyond the Bell

State of Banking

The State of Banking: How Concerned Should We Be?

Three banks have made headlines in recent days, Silvergate Bank and its holding company Silvergate Capital Corp (NYSE: SI), Signature Bank (Nasdaq: SBNY), and most notably Silicon Valley Bank and its holding company SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB).  Silvergate Bank is a major bank of the cryptocurrency community and announced on March 8, 2023 that it would be winding down operations with plans to liquidate voluntarily.[1]  On Friday, March 10, 2023 California banking regulators announced that the FDIC would take over the liquidation of Silicon Valley Bank holding company SVB Financial Group.[2]  On Sunday night, March 12, New York banking regulators announced that Signature Bank would be placed into receivership of the FDIC.[3]

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The Stockdale Paradox

The Stockdale Paradox

Admiral James Stockdale was the highest-ranking American taken prisoner during the Vietnam War after his A-4 Skyhawk fighter was shot down over North Vietnam. Stockdale ejected, breaking a bone in his back. Upon landing in a remote village, he badly dislocated his knee, which subsequently went untreated. Shortly thereafter, he was captured by North Vietnamese forces.

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Diving In Again: Roth 2.0

Diving In Again: Roth 2.0

It seems the only things discussed these days in financial publications are interest rates, inflation, and labor markets. It makes sense. The disconnect between the stories the Fed officials are telling and the one the market seems to be sketching makes for a mesmerizing experience akin to staring into a campfire. It is hard to look away. One of these parties will have to be wrong, but which one?

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A lot to unpack

A Lot to Unpack

Larry Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury, recently said, “It’s as difficult an economy to read as I can remember.” To cut to the chase: we would retweet that sentiment. Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve Chair, has practically all but said “READ MY LIPS: NO RATE CUTS.” And yet, investors seem to have a different vision for how the year ahead plays out. One could imagine that we’re all reading effectively the same economic data, but the data itself is a mixed bag, and interpretation of the data (and the importance of each piece) leaves a lot of room for divergence of opinion as well. You’ve probably heard many times by now that the Fed is aiming for a soft landing. What exactly does that mean? It means

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A Guide to Social Security

Social Security can feel complicated and intimidating. Here’s your complete guide to learning and understanding what it is, how it works, and when to claim it.

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Market Outlook Winter 2023

At the start of every calendar year, we see the major financial institutions providing their ‘outlook’ for the markets. Usually, the outlooks are hedged by not being too divergent from consensus, but nonetheless, they all must predict something, knowing that if their thesis comes true, they can lay claim to have made the right call.

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Clock

Tax Saving Tips Beyond the Obvious: An Opportune Time for Roth Conversions

In today’s episode, we are going to take a deep dive into one of the best tax planning strategies out there: Roth conversions… and why this year, through 2025, is an opportune time to consider implementing them. Also, we are going to describe the ideal investor profile who would be best positioned to implement a Roth conversion strategy.

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On Predictions… and Being Wrong

Happy New Year! The end of the year is all about reflection and the beginning of the year is all about looking forward.  With that spirit in mind, today is a good day to think about looking ahead and what that means in finance.

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