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MONTH-2-MONTH
NOVEMBER 2023
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MONTH-2-MONTH is intended to provide you with updates on AFP and timely financial planning and investment information on a variety of topics.
If you find our content useful, please forward this e-mail to a friend.
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November’s arrival brings with it cool, crisp air and falling leaves. The explosion of colors provides a beautiful backdrop for the season. This time of year, we reflect on what we’re most thankful for. Family, friends, good health, and more.
We thank you for being a part of our lives and we feel privileged to be part of yours.
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Thanksgiving Holiday Hours – AFP will close at noon on Wednesday, November 22nd and will be closed on November 23rd and 24th in observance of Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Monday, November 27th.
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Correction to Schwab Alliance Access & DocuSign Verification – Schwab offers an option for some fund transfers to be authorized through the Alliance website. We quickly learned that this option is limited and does not eliminate the usage of DocuSign.
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Beneficiary Updates – Schwab offers the option to update your account beneficiaries through the Alliance website. The option begs for attention but does not demand action. What’s missing is the information to help clients understand which accounts are eligible for beneficiary designations and how to determine the hierarchy of beneficiary designations. If you have questions about beneficiary designations or need to make updates, please contact us for assistance.
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Lisa Jolley, JD, CAP, AEP, Senior Director for
Donor Services at The Columbus Foundation.
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This Month's Webinar – "Charitable Giving" with guest speaker, Lisa Jolley, JD, CAP, AEP, Senior Director for Donor Services at The Columbus Foundation. This will be a discussion on the importance of charitable giving and its impact on your taxes.
This is a pre-recorded webinar and will be posted directly
to our website during the week of November 27th.
December Webinar: "Untangling Social Security"
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Click below to read our November 2023 Blog edition.
Year-End Charitable Giving Strategies
We would enjoy receiving your feedback on our Blog. Please share any comments or suggestions for future topics with us via email.
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I celebrated the beginning of this month with a birthday. Seems to happen at the beginning of every November for some reason, but I’m not complaining. Ever since I went to New Zealand last year, my favorite breakfast has been eggs benedict and no one makes it better than my son. So that is how my morning began. I have made it a tradition to go ride my bike as long as the weather is good. Given some time constraints, this year it was the Olentangy Bike Trail. This too was very fun. Gene & I went out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants and I am now the proud owner of an Apple watch! Can’t say I know how to use it yet, other than to tell time!
Due to boarding the dogs while I went to the conference in October, both came down with kennel cough. I was very fortunate to have a vet student, Annie, come stay at my house while I attended a second conference a few weeks ago. They are on the mend and doing well.
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Autumn has always been my (and my wife’s) favorite season. As we’ve had time, we’ve really tried to get outside to enjoy the cooler temperatures and the colorful leaves. Of course one of the things to do outside is to rake the leaves – not sure how many bags I’ve collected thus far. Hopefully I’ll be able to get the last of them this weekend. We also visited the zoo. It’s always interesting to see which animals become more active in the cooler weather. This particular time the wolverines were more active than we’ve ever seen them. We also endured the freezing temperatures on Halloween. Ellie dressed up as Arwen from Lord of the Rings and Ainsley was Anna from Frozen. Our dentist would be horrified at the amount of candy that we still have in our house. | | | |
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We returned from Spain to learn that our oldest daughter decided to move to Cincinnati. Andy spent a couple of days relocating Cass to a new apartment in the Queen City. It is near her friends and the ice rink where she plays broomball regularly.
The UA Lady Bears Golf Team finished sectionals as co-champions. They advanced to districts but were eliminated, finishing in 7th place. It was competitive with only a 7 stroke differential between 3rd and 7th place teams. Cayleigh met most of her personal goals and brought home some impressive swag. She earned her Varsity Letter, was named to the OCC Second Team, and was recognized as a Scholar Athlete All Ohio. She also received the coach’s award for outstanding attitude among her Varsity teammates. We are very proud of Cayleigh’s accomplishments and excited to read the next chapter of her story, in due time.
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Now that the NHL season is underway, I’ve been able to attend a couple Blue Jackets games with my dad. We’ve seen them play against the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins so far. The Jackets were pretty overwhelmed by the Stars in a 5-2 loss, which didn’t come as much of a surprise since Dallas is a Stanley Cup favorite this season. They played better against Pittsburgh, but it still resulted in a 5-3 loss. It’s always fun to take in a game at Nationwide Arena and we’ll probably end up seeing 10-15 games in person this year. | | |
Current Economic and Investment Information | |
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TROUBLE BREWING – Newly delinquent credit card loans have risen rapidly since hitting multi-decade lows in late 2021. In the New York Fed’s latest Report on Household Debt and Credit, the share of credit card loans that were newly delinquent crossed above 8% for the first time since Q3 2011, which is nearly double the 4.1% seen in Q4 2021. (source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
A BLOWOUT WEEK FOR EARNINGS – The 710 stocks that reported earnings during the week of 11/3 averaged a one-day price gain of 2.3% on the first trading day after their earnings release. This is the seventh time in the last 20 years where at least 200 stocks reported earnings and the average one-day share price gain was more than 2%. The last time there was a week with a stronger upside reaction was in May 2009. (source: Bespoke)
BALLOONING BALANCES – TransUnion reported that 20.5 million new credit cards were issued last quarter, increasing the total number of cards in the US to a record 538 million. The average credit card balance jumped 15% from 2022 to a ten-year high of $6,088. According to Bankrate.com, at current rates, it would take 17 years of minimum payments to pay off that amount and would cost over $9,000 in interest. (source: CNBC)
ALL CASH – Online real estate brokerage firm Redfin reported that 34.1% of home sales in September were all-cash transactions. That’s a 4.6% increase from a year ago and the highest percentage since February 2014. All-cash transactions in September were highest in Cleveland, OH and West Palm Beach, FL at 49%, while they were lowest in Oakland, CA at 18%. (source: Redfin)
WRETCHED RETIREMENT – The National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI) measures the percentage of working-age households that will not be able to maintain their current standard of living after retirement. Since 2010, the NRRI has shown that anywhere between 47% and 51% of households will not be able to maintain their current lifestyles in retirement. (source: Center for Retirement Research)
CHATTING AWAY – The popular ChatGPT AI chatbot now has over 100 million active weekly users, according to CEO Sam Altman, who noted that more than two million developers and 92% of Fortune 500 companies are using ChatGPT’s API. ChatGPT was released less than a year ago and is considered the fastest-growing consumer internet app of all time. (source: The Verge)
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How to Navigate Your Family Text Chain
In place of a chart this month, we thought this might be helpful information
as we gather around a table for Thanksgiving.
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Click here to view the article. | |
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Saving More in a 401(k) Can Now Boost
Your College Financial Aid
How the new Fafsa application changes the formula for financial aid
By Oyin Adedoyin
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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Faced with the gargantuan cost of higher education, Americans often have to choose between securing their children’s future or their own. A new rule change makes it slightly easier to do both.
Pretax contributions made to retirement accounts will no longer count as income in the formula that measures a family’s ability to pay for college, under changes to this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa. The Education Department made the changes to simplify the form and ensure more aid goes to those who need it most.
Some families could save between $5,000 and more than $10,000 on the cost of college each year, depending on their income.
Click here to continue reading this article.
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Trust Protectors Explained
Answers to some of advisors' most frequently asked questions about this powerful role.
By Megan Cannella
Source: WealthManagement.com
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Financial advisors often work with clients who hold or plan to leave assets in trust. But clients may be reluctant to commit to trust terms that may govern for generations in the face of changing laws and circumstances. Appointing a trust protector can provide flexibility to alleviate those concerns, but it can also raise new questions. This article serves to answer frequently asked questions regarding the role.
What Are Trust Protectors and What Can They Do?
A trust protector is a person appointed in a trust instrument to carry out specifically listed purposes that are not already delegated to the trust’s creator (settlor), trustee or beneficiaries. The role originated as a way to provide a check on foreign trustees of offshore trusts, but has evolved to become a solution for potential, but unknown, problems that arise in a trust’s administration.
Click here to continue reading this article.
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“Peering from some high window, at the gold of November sunset and feeling that if day has to become night, this is a beautiful way.”
- E. E. Cummings
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Alexander Financial Planning | |
3600 Olentangy River Rd, Ste. C2
Columbus, OH 43214
614-538-1600
Office Hours: Monday - Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Registered Investment Advisor
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This material is distributed by Alexander Financial Planning, Inc., (AFPI) and is for information purposes only. Although information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy. It is provided with the understanding that no fiduciary relationship exists because of this report. Opinions expressed in this report are not necessarily the opinions of AFPI and are subject to change without notice. AFPI assumes no liability for the interpretation or use of this report. Financial planning, investment conclusions, and strategies suggested in this report may not be suitable for all investors and consultation with a qualified advisor is recommended prior to executing any investment strategy. No portion of this writing should be construed as legal or accounting advice. All rights reserved. | | |
© Alexander Financial Planning, Inc. | |
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