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Last year, stocks marched higher with only minor pullbacks. When the year ended, the largest peak to trough decline for the S&P 500 Index was just under 3% (St. Louis Federal Reserve data on the S&P 500). It was a year that lacked turbulence and one that rewarded diversified investors.

“This is a test; this is only a test. Had this been an actual emergency…”

After nearly a decade of leaving the federal funds rate at zero percent, the time finally came on December 16, 2015: The U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) raised the federal funds rate by 0.25 percent. Because it was the first rate increase since June 2006, it was reported as “a historic moment.” Since then, the Fed has made several modest increases.

No matter how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) may alter your tax planning, we’d like to believe one thing will remain the same: With or without a tax write-off, many Americans will still want to give generously to the charities of their choice. After all, financial incentives aren’t usually your main motivation for giving. We give to support the causes we cherish.

There are many different ways you can shelter your savings from taxes. It is a powerful incentive for us to save for retirement.

Options give us choices, but choices can confuse as options proliferate.

If there is a universal investment ideal, it is this: Every investor wants to buy low and sell high. What if we told you there is a disciplined process for doing just that, and staying on track toward your personal goals while you’re at it? Guess what? There is. It’s called rebalancing.

Rebalancing: How It Works

Now that 2017 is a wrap, and we are well into 2018, we wanted to share one of the best presents you can bestow on yourself and your loved ones - the gift of proper preparation for rest of the year. Want to get a jump-start on it? Here are 10 financial best practices to energize your wealth management efforts.

As the 2017 market analyses have begun rolling in, so too have the reports of long and strong positive performance from almost every corner of the market. One Wall Street Journal (WSJ) year-end report summarized: “Sure, U.S. stocks had solid gains, but investors who bought copper, Argentine stocks, and lumber futures would have also ended the year with hefty profits.”

After a period of relative calm in the markets, in recent days the increase in volatility in the stock market has resulted in renewed anxiety for many investors.

Remember, market volatility, in all its nerve-wracking forms, is one of the key factors that drive the long-term expected returns you’re seeking to capture by investing. With high volatility comes higher expected future returns. With low volatility, you get to go about your day more calmly, but you must also accept diminished expectations about your future net worth.