October is an exciting month for many people because fall is in full swing and many are preparing for Halloween. However, October may frighten investors and those in the financial services industry because historically, some of the biggest market crashes have occurred during this month, and it’s also when cost…
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Critical questions for plan participants: Should I be looking at Roth contributions?
Roth contributions to your 401(k) are something to consider based on your time-horizon until retirement as well as your current and expected tax bracket in retirement. A Roth 401(k) is an option at some employer-sponsored plans, but unlike a traditional 401(k) it’s funded with after-tax dollars. This means you pay…
Why you should keep a close eye on the repo market
One of the most overlooked powers of the financial market is so important that it actually acts as the plumbing that makes everything go. I’m talking about the repo market, which is shorthand for repurchase agreements. Although there are a lot of moving parts within the repo market, it’s a…
Charlie’s month-end reading list
Here are some of the latest topics of interest at Fort Pitt Capital Group: “The Repo Market: What it is, and why everyone is talking about it again,” comes from The Wall Street Journal. An unexpected rate spike in the repo market put the rarely talked about market front and…
Compliance Corner: The SEC issued new guidance on proxy voting. What does that mean?
In August the SEC issued new guidance on proxy voting to help clarify the roles and responsibilities that registered investment advisors (RIAs) have when voting proxies on their clients’ behalf. While the guidance may seem complex, we want to breakdown what it means and provide a link to the press release…
Fun at the Fort: Cornhole tournament and picnic at the office
You know the saying, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” well here at Fort Pitt we are anything but dull! As summer turns to fall we left our desks for some fun at our second annual picnic and cornhole tournament. This also served as a great…
How to give your kids the financial education you didn’t get
If you search the internet for financial education articles about “money lessons” there’s list after list of lessons you need to learn by a certain age or rundowns from individuals about what they wish they had learned about money when they were younger. These financial information catalogs cover everything from…
Scammers targeting victims through social media
Many people are aware that scammers will try to access personal data through emails. However, cyber attackers have begun using other platforms to communicate with users including Skype, Slack, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and gaming apps. Scammers are increasingly communicating through these platforms because people are often more casual and informal…
Is your money prepared for what the market does next?
No one has a crystal ball that can predict what the market will do in the future, and that’s exactly why there’s so much confusion right now. The markets are up one minute and down the next with talk of trade wars, slowing economic growth and changes in monetary policy.…
Critical questions for plan participants: How much should I be saving?
When it comes to making an investment in your retirement plan, you should aim to save at least enough to get a full employer match, if that is available for you. From there, consider how much you’re able to save from each paycheck. As a rule of thumb, 10 to…