Blog
What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the industry or emerging trends, you can read about it here. We’re glad to have you reading along.
Goal Setting That Sticks: Simple Ways to Turn January Motivation into Lasting Wins
Key Takeaways and Suggestions for Successful Goal Setting Use SMART Goals for Clarity and FocusSet goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This proven method helps break big ambitions into manageable...
Read MoreYear-End Giving Strategies: Tax-Smart and Impactful
Key Takeaways A third of annual donations: About one-third of all charitable contributions are made in December. Donating before December 31 may offer tax advantages. New rules starting in 2026 (via the OBBB Act) may affect deductions...
Read MoreThe True Costs of Caring for Aging Parents
Key Takeaways Caring for aging parents is a growing reality for many Americans. The number of family caregivers in the U.S. has jumped to 63 million, a 45 percent increase over the past decade, making 1 in every 4 Americans a...
Read MoreMoney Talks: How to Use Holiday Gatherings to Start Family Financial Conversations
Key Takeaways Year-end holidays may be a good time to initiate a discussion about financial matters that may impact your family. If you have adult children, you may want to discuss your financial situation, estate strategy, and legal...
Read MoreShould You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?
Receiving a bonus, inheritance, or an increase in income often prompts a key financial question: Should I use this money to pay off my mortgage, or invest it? At first glance, the answer might seem simple. But in reality, it requires...
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A 2025 Guide to Protecting Seniors from Fraud
If you’ve found yourself stepping into a more active role in your parents’ financial lives, you’re not alone. Some of us are helping aging parents navigate everything from healthcare decisions to bill payments—and increasingly, we’re...
Read MoreSmart Moves to Consider Before Year-End
The final months of the year can sneak up quickly, and with them come deadlines, decisions, and distractions. Before the holiday season takes over your calendar, fall can be a valuable window to revisit your financial strategy and...
Read MoreBreaking Down the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: What You Need to Know
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) included lower federal income tax brackets, bigger standard deductions, and higher gift and estate tax exemptions, among other provisions. The law stipulated that some of those tax breaks would...
Read MoreWhy More Families Are Choosing to Gift Wealth Earlier—and How to Do It
Estate management isn’t just about what happens after you’re gone— it’s also about what you can do now to help manage future estate taxes, transfer wealth strategically, and attempt to create a meaningful impact during your lifetime....
Read MoreWhat You Need to Know About the 2025 Changes to Inherited IRA Rules
The rules regarding inherited IRAs have changed in the last five years, and failing to comply with the new requirements may result in IRS penalties. These changes affect people inheriting IRAs and those looking to leave retirement...
Read MoreBeyond Salary: Understanding Your Total Compensation
Compensation is more than just a number on a paycheck. Whether you're exploring new opportunities, preparing for a promotion, or evaluating your current benefits, it’s important to understand the full value of your total...
Read MoreHow Much Do You Really Know About Stock Market Indexes?
While you may follow the various stock indexes on the nightly business news, how much do you know about their histories, how they work, and why they're important? We pulled together some information and interesting facts about some of...
Read MoreHow Do You Turn Retirement Savings into a Reliable Income Strategy?
You’ve likely spent years building your retirement nest egg—saving diligently, investing wisely, and contributing to retirement accounts along the way. But transitioning from earning a paycheck to relying on your savings can feel...
Read More“The Four Most Dangerous Words In Investing Are: ‘This Time It’s Different.’” – Sir John Templeton
Despite those who say the conventional wisdom that has guided investor actions over the years is no longer valid in 2025, remember the famous quote from legendary investor Sir John Templeton: "The four most dangerous words in investing...
Read MoreWhat’s the Job Market Look Like for 2025 Graduates?
It’s graduation season—a time of celebration and new beginnings. For families with college seniors, this time can bring both excitement and uncertainty. While some graduates have jobs lined up, many others still are navigating job...
Read MoreIs It Smarter to Buy or Rent a Second Home?
As summer approaches, your thoughts may drift toward escaping your daily routine. Whether your idea of a perfect vacation is sitting on a pristine beach, fishing in a mountain lake, or playing the back nine between pickleball matches,...
Read MoreFrom College Acceptances to Affordability: Considerations for Families in the Final Stretch
April is a pivotal time in the college admissions process. After years of preparation, saving, and investing—not to mention the countless hours spent on exam prep, campus visits, and perfecting applications and essays—the finish line...
Read MoreSpring Into Financial Wellness: Actionable Steps for Financial Literacy Month
April isn’t just about filing taxes—it’s also Financial Literacy Month, a perfect opportunity to reflect on your financial habits, expand your knowledge, and take meaningful steps toward improving your financial well-being. Whether...
Read More10 Things You Can Do Now to Help Simplify Your Estate for Your Heirs
One of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones is a thoughtful estate strategy that outlines your wishes after you are gone. Discussing estate details with your team of professionals is another way to help manage your legacy...
Read MoreThe Evolving Role of Women in Family Finances
March is Women’s History Month, and according to a recent survey, 49% of women consider themselves to be the chief financial officer of their households, up from 41% in 2021.1 Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider...
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Outlook 2025: Pragmatic Optimism
Outlook 2025: Pragmatic Optimism delivers market insights on what we can expect from the economy, stocks, bonds, and more.
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Outlook 2024: A Turning Point
Recently, the LPL Research team published the 2024 Outlook: A Turning Point. A check-in on where the markets have been and where they seem to be headed, this report is a great guide to help steer personal portfolios. If you...
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Here Comes One of the Best Days of the Year (and the Best Week and Month)
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 The calendar is about to do a lot of favors for the bulls, as late October and early November historically are quite strong. October 28 was the best day of the year, until it fell more than 3% last year, but...
Read More2021 Outlook
LPL Financial Research Outlook 2021: Powering Forward LPL Research Outlook 2021: Powering Forward is designed to help you navigate a year in which economic conditions may continue to improve dramatically. Like the markets, Outlook...
Read MoreMarket Update Sept 3,2020
The S&P 500 Index opened lower this morning after a strong start to September, historically a seasonally weak month. Better than expected jobless claims were released this morning, and the much-anticipated monthly jobs report will be...
Read MoreCoronavirus
The Coronavirus Outbreak Is Spreading Posted by lplresearch Market Blog News that the coronavirus—known as COVID-19—has spread to South Korea, Italy, Japan, and Iran, has led to massive selling around the globe, with many...
Read MoreWhat Mideast Escalation Means for Markets
The U.S. airstrike that killed the top Iranian military commander last week was a major escalation in Mideast tensions. In fact, it would be difficult to overstate the geopolitical significance of this action. Iran likely will...
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Outlook 2020
Hindsight is 20/20, but finding clarity in future uncertainty can be fuzzy. AT LPL RESEARCH, as we look forward to the year 2020 and a new decade, some key trends and market signals will be important to watch, including progress on U.S...
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Midyear Outlook 2018: The Plot Thickens
Presenting the LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2018: The Plot Thickens, packed with investment insights and market analysis to guide you through all the action we may see in the year ahead. When we as investors began 2018, we were tuned...
Read MoreVolatiility is Back
February 6, 2018 After more than 18 months of nearly uninterrupted advances, the U.S. equity markets started declining last week, with a large sell-off on February 5, 2018. Although it is always difficult to endure these declines when...
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Midyear Outlook 2017: A Shift In Market Control
The LPL Research Midyear Outlook: A Shift In Market Control states the following four themes may be key to the markets over the balance of 2017: Monetary policy: Slow path to normalization. Maintaining economic growth without...
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2017 Market Outlook
Heading into the New Year, we are mindful of market milestones that have come together to influence the investment landscape: a new president and administration, the stabilization of oil prices, and the end of an earnings recession....
Read MoreFed Raises Rates
The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) policy-making arm, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), raised its target for the federal funds rate by 0.25% (25 basis points) yesterday as expected at the conclusion of its two-day meeting. By...
Read MoreFederal Open Market Committee
As expected, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) policymaking arm, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), opted not to raise interest rates at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, September 21. The FOMC did...
Read MoreMarket Watch
After a very quiet stretch for stocks in the second half of the summer, market volatility has returned in September. Much like shifting to busier fall schedules once September and the new school year begin, this pickup in volatility...
Read MoreMarket Watch
This summer so far has been anything but quiet. Between the June Brexit vote, several headline-grabbing jobs reports, the winding path of oil prices, and all-time highs for stocks, there has been a lot of activity to absorb in these...
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Midyear Outlook 2016: A Vote of Confidence
As we embark on the second half of 2016, the headlines and much of our attention will be focused on the 2016 presidential election, which can distract us with the barrage of promises and heightened political drama. Against that...
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The Brexit Vote
Today we received the unprecedented news that the United Kingdom (U.K.) has voted to leave the European Union (EU), which had led to significant volatility in the global markets. In situations like these, it becomes more important than...
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