Capital Ideas
First Quarter 2021 Letter to Clients
First Quarter 2021 Client Letter The past year has been a vivid reminder that the stock market often moves swiftly and dramatically in response to unexpected events. This is true both in both downturns and upturns, and it’s more true now than ever. The emergence of...
Fourth Quarter 2020 Letter to Clients
Our client letter this past April was published just as the world was coming to grips with the stark realities of the Covid-19 pandemic. Shelter-in-place orders had just been issued for all of the world’s major population centers. Sports leagues suddenly cancelled...
Social Security Considerations
One of the many decisions you will be faced with as you approach retirement age is when is the right time to claim Social Security benefits. There are many factors to sort through to make the right decision for you. Will it still be there when I’m ready to claim...
Third Quarter 2020 Letter to Clients
If you want to see (perhaps even enjoy) an exercise in futility, run a search in Google on this phrase: 2019 predictions about the stock market in 2020 As you’ll find, the search returns dozens of articles containing hundreds of predictions from market pundits about...
Using Flowcharts to Understand Your Current Estate Plan
Estate planning can be complicated and morbid to talk about. As a result, it’s often one of those items that gets put off. But the pandemic has caused many of our clients to ask about their estate plan. An estate plan is a set of legal documents that lay out how to...
Confused about Medicare? Let’s Break it Down.
As you near retirement age, you’ll likely start to notice all of the advertisements, articles and discussions about Medicare that are out there. It can sound a lot like alphabet soup – Parts A, B, C, D, supplement, etc. And you’re probably asking: Which parts do I...
Apocalypse or a Hedge: Thoughts on Investing in Gold
Why is it that every time the markets get rocky, people want to buy gold? I dug into this question recently, and here is what I have found. At the end of the day, people’s money worries are usually not just about the money. Money can stand in for protection and...
Another year of increasing Long-Term Care (LTC) Premiums?
Several of our clients purchased long-term care (LTC) policies many years ago. For the clients who needed LTC policies, they’ve been a blessing. Our clients who need LTC get better care sooner if they have these policies in place. It makes sense—the policy is there...
Capital Directions Is Named to the 2020 Financial Times 300 Top Registered Investment Advisors List
Capital Directions is named on the Financial Times’ FT 300 List for 2020. The FT 300 List recognizes the nation’s top independent RIAs. ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA, July 30, 2020 - Capital Directions is excited to announce its inclusion on the Financial Times’ FT 300 List...
Second Quarter 2020 Letter to Clients
Vanguard founder John Bogle once famously advised investors on how to handle stock downturns: “Don’t just do something,” he said. “Stand there!” It is a wry and wise way of turning the conventional wisdom about what to do in bear markets on its head. When panic grips...
Why Your College Refund Check May Be Taxable
Michael Bork, CFP® | Associate Advisor Amidst the widespread impacts of COVID-19, the mass closure of colleges, universities and private secondary schools may create some unexpected tax consequences for students and their parents after receiving partial refunds for...
First Quarter 2020 Letter to Clients
How fast the world can change. On February 12, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at an all-time high of 29,551. At that time, the economy was humming, corporate earnings were rising and unemployment was at lows last seen during the mid-1950s. While global health...