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Business Entity Selection for Small Business Owners 

One of the most important decisions that small business owners face is selecting the right type of business entity. There are many options available, such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), and corporations. The type of entity you select will affect everything from your day-to-day operations to the amount of liability you are exposing yourself to. This article will evaluate the pros and cons of each option in order to help you determine which structure would suit you and your business the best.

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How Are the Magnificent 7 Faring Through Earnings Season?

The S&P 500 closed last week down 0.42% ending a five-week winning streak and pulling back from a string of record-breaking highs. The dour mood continued into the beginning of this week and the S&P 500 only barely squeaked out a positive return in the last few minutes of trading on Wednesday leading up to the Nvidia earnings release only to turn on a dime and power back on Thursday. There are explanations for this activity which I’ll explore below. However, the bottom line is that volatility is back in the markets, and we are seeing that in the reactions to earnings announcements this quarter. As of Wednesday night, the companies dubbed the Magnificent 7 have all reported earnings and they seem as good an example as any to explore how changing expectations are impacting stock prices.

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Insights: Back to the Basics

As I’ve gotten older, I have liked the idea of setting intentions for myself, deciding to grant mental real estate to things I’d like to spend more time doing or trying. These aren’t New Year’s Resolutions about abstaining from alcohol or getting my heart rate up 5x per week (or other new habits that die quickly about this time of year). These are… bigger than that, but also simpler than that. And that is what makes them challenging.

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“Optimism is a Moral Duty”

This newsletter is going to come across a bit disjointed. There are a couple different topics I wanted to touch on, so I thought I’d do a bit on each topic running through my head in quick fashion.

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Should Investors Worry About the U.S. Presidential Election?

Investing in an Election Year: Should Investors Worry About the U.S. Presidential Election?

Should Investors Worry About the U.S. Presidential Election? Happy New Year, everyone! I know we’re already nearly a month into 2024, but this is my first article to our clients in the new year and I just took down my Christmas tree embarrassingly late in January, so it still feels appropriate. At the beginning of every year, the financial media is awash in market forecasts. It should come as no surprise that I am not one for market predictions, but it is valuable to consider the developments so far in 2024, understand the market environment we find ourselves in today, and think about the challenges and opportunities the coming year may have in store. One topic I expect to come up in conversation this year is the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Throughout my career, every presidential election cycle has brought fresh anxiety for investors and questions about what a given election outcome might mean for the markets. So, we’ll consider that question today and hopefully avoid some apprehension later.

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How to Plan for the 2025 Sunset of the Federal Estate Tax Exemption 

As of January 1, 2026, the current lifetime estate and gift tax exemptions will sunset and revert to 2017 amounts (adjusted for inflation), resulting in exemptions that will be half of what they are now. Families that face estate tax liability in 2026, roughly speaking if your assets are at, above, or will grow to $5 million at the time of death, could potentially save a significant amount by making strategic changes to their estate and financial plans now.

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Discover Our Team’s Must-Reads from 2023

As the year draws to a close, our team at Howe & Rusling has gathered to share the books that have resonated most with us in 2023. From heartwarming novels to insightful non-fiction that sparks introspection, these recommendations reflect the diverse tastes and passions of our team members. Whether you’re in for a wild adventure, a good laugh, or a deep dive into the human experience, we’ve got a book for you. So, grab a cozy blanket, brew a cup of something delightful, and get ready to update your reading list!

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Your Year-End Financial Checklist: Contributions, Tax Planning and more  

I know that we’re all in the midst of planning for the holidays. As we create our to-do list for preparing for family gatherings, gift giving, and other festivities, we at Howe & Rusling also think it’s important to create a financial check list before we ring in the new year. We would like to highlight seven points that would be beneficial to review.

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The Important Things: tuning out the financial noise to focus on what really matters

As the end of the year rapidly approaches and we all spend time with our friends, family, and loved ones, it feels as though time is accelerating and 2023 will be in the past before we know it. Reflecting on the topics of blog articles this year, I wrote about legislation a few times including changes to Roth rules, debt ceiling battles, and banking regulation interventions. Macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical tensions, and market reactions to both were also common topics. Perhaps the most common subject was the Federal Reserve and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and it was so frequent that we need not count. There was another Federal Reserve meeting this week and, while the Summary of Economic Projections was a point of some interest for the markets, reflecting on such a strange year for economics and the markets got me thinking of the bigger picture. Perhaps it’s the season, but it feels like a good time to take a step back and reflect not on the noise of the financial press and the minutiae of the financial markets, but on the reasons we all bother to get up in the morning, go to work, do the hard things, and invest for the future.

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