Blog Investment & Financial News

Investing through Market Volatility

Bouts of market volatility are an unnerving, but normal, feature of long-term investing. They’re not fun, but you can expect to see market declines periodically throughout your investing career. You often hear that investors shouldn’t pay attention to the markets’ day-to-day movements. But it’s sometimes impossible to avoid—like when stocks fall 3% in a day.…

Credit Traps for the Unwary

Credit Traps for the Unwary It’s hard to imagine functioning in today’s society without access to credit. However, you need to be careful not to fall victim to some of the pitfalls associated with it. Revolving credit can make it hard for you to pay off debt Credit cards allow you to spend money you…

2019 2nd Quarter Commentary

Market Summary   U.S. stocks, as measured by the S&P 500 TR Index, got off to their best start since 1997 and reached new all-time highs. During the quarter the S&P 500 gained 4.3% which included a 6.4% drop in May and then a 7% bounce in June. This year’s 18.5% first half gain came…

Cybersecurity 101

Cybercrime has been on the rise. The risk of identity theft or your personal data being compromised continues to be a real threat, and it’s important for you to be prepared. We are extremely committed to protecting your personal and financial data. We have robust software security systems in place and test them regularly. In…

Update on Global Trade

Global trade tensions have been elevated since early 2018. Much of the focus has centered on a tit-for-tat exchange of retaliatory tariffs between the U.S. and China, but trade restrictions with North American and European allies are also a factor. The trade tension between China and the U.S. is bigger than just trade, which makes…

2019 1st Quarter Commentary

1st Quarter 2019 Commentary Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors Market Summary After one of the worst quarters in a decade, stocks shrugged off many of the uncertainties surrounding interest rates, trade wars and slowing global growth to have one of the best quarters in a decade. U.S. stocks, as measured by the S&P 500 TR Index,…

Happy Earth Day: Sustainable Investing

Sustainable Investing Sustainable investing is no longer a niche investment approach. Growth has rapidly increased over the last 20 years (see graph at right)[1]. In a 2015 survey, the Morgan Stanley Institute of Sustainable Investing found that 71% of individual investors are interested in sustainable investing[2]. Sustainable investing seeks to provide strategies, products and solutions…

Not your Grandma’s Dow

Not Your Grandma’s Dow A quick online search for “Dow rallies 500 points” yields a cascade of news stories with similar titles, as does a similar search for “Dow drops 500 points.” These types of headlines may make little sense to some investors, given that a “point” for the Dow and what it means to…

Company News

Welcome, Liz Stokes!

Employee Spotlight – Jacqueline Cremen

Shreds and Meds Day – October 28th at The Valley Mall

Employee Spotlight: Chelsie Smith

Employee Spotlight: Dirk Bernd

Market Commentary

2024 1st Quarter Investment Commentary

2023 4th Quarter Investment Commentary

2023 3rd Quarter Investment Commentary

2023 2nd Quarter Investment Commentary

Debt Ceiling: Should Investors Worry?

Retirement Planning

2024 Key Financial Changes

Social Security Benefit Increase of 3.2% for 2024

The 4 Changes from SECURE Act 2.0 You Should Know for 2023

Medicare Open Enrollment for 2023 Begins October 15th

Social Security Benefit Increase of 8.7% for 2023

Tax Planning

2024 Key Financial Changes

2023 1099 Release Information

2023 Year-End Tax Planning

When do I start my Required Minimum Distribution?

UPDATE: Washington State Long Term Care Payroll Tax

Cyber Security

Red Flags When Transferring Money

Cybersecurity 101 – 2022 Update

Cybersecurity 101

New Changes to Web-Portal Password Requirements

Equifax Data Breach Update: Make a claim today