Carlson Investments

As Carlson Investments Financial Advisor Alan (AJ) Rattee says, “Debt is something that almost all of us take on during our lifetime. It helps us access cars, education, houses, and even everyday purchases.” In fact, according to Business Insider, the average debt in America was $104,215 across mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards in Q1 2024. So, what’s the best way to manage and chip away at your debt? There are two general strategies for paying down debt: the snowball method and the avalanche method. “Without a strategy to pay off debt, it can become consuming and build even larger than what you initially borrowed,” AJ explains. “These two debt strategies are a great way to build a plan and attack that debt!” While the snowball method involves paying off your debts starting with the smallest total balance, the avalanche method targets the highest interest rate debt. Learn more about how each works in our latest article: https://lnkd.in/dWJhbmCC #debtpayments #debtstrategy #payingoffdebt #personalfinance #financegoals

The election is just a few weeks away, and you may be wondering how it will impact your portfolio. Better yet, how can you insulate your portfolio against market volatility? First things first, we encourage our clients to avoid making emotionally driven decisions based on election outcomes. Greg Partyka shares the reminder that while the election will continue to generate headlines, policy change is highly uncertain and takes time to work itself through. We recommend structuring your portfolio around your long-term objectives and staying focused on your goals rather than reacting to short-term market noise. However, we also acknowledge that volatility can present valuable strategic opportunities. Speak with a Carlson Investments advisor for specific questions and guidance on maintaining and building your portfolio during an election cycle: https://lnkd.in/gJssiFjz #2024election #financialmarkets #investing101 #smartinvesting #wealthplanning

The election is quickly approaching—and with it, a lot of concern around the markets and economy. Should you make any changes to your portfolio? Add or remove certain assets? As our experienced Analyst Greg Partyka highlights, historical data regarding elections and the markets show us: - Volatility tends to rise prior to election day and subside thereafter. Equity return dispersion is notably higher during election years. - Markets are nonpartisan. Data does not suggest that either party has been better for equity markets on average. - Congressional races matter, too. Due to congressional division, what a presidential candidate proposes is often different from what they deliver, making policy/sector bets especially challenging. While the election cycle is one data point, numerous factors affect market performance. Learn more about how to handle your investments during an election year: https://lnkd.in/dEeWhdAQ #electionyear #investing #personalfinance #economicoutlook

An election year can cause significant uncertainty in financial markets. But as Carlson Investments Analyst Greg Partyka notes, “Consider using market volatility opportunistically with a longer-term perspective.” With the election right around the corner, clients often ask us about the implications for their investment portfolios. As changes in the political order can impact policy and society, it’s natural to assume that election outcomes may significantly affect financial markets. So what does Greg mean, exactly? While watching the markets during the election cycle is smart, the wisest thing you can do is NOT jump to any financial decisions. Find out what we mean and what history tells us about the markets and election years in our latest article: https://lnkd.in/dEeWhdAQ #electionyear #2024election #financialmarkets #investingtips #financialplanning

Did you know that Carlson Investments is celebrating our 35th anniversary? To mark this milestone, we collaborated with five incredible New Hampshire nonprofits! Our team unanimously agreed that the best form of celebration and gratitude would be to give back to our community. So, we reached out to Circle Program, Animal Rescue League of NH, Easterseals NH West Side Early Childhood Center of Excellence, New Hampshire Food Bank, and the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester to ask how we could help through our 35 Hours of Giving initiative. We provided each nonprofit with hands-on support with various maintenance, organization, repairs, and activities. They can now continue focusing on and growing their programs, with specific tasks and issues taken off their plate. We were happy to help them save on costs and make a difference simply by giving some of our time. Seeing our direct impact was extremely rewarding—plus, we got the added bonus of team-building by doing something meaningful together! Learn more about our 35 Hours of Giving initiative and how you can get involved with or donate to each charity today: https://lnkd.in/gf7A7W2S #carlson35 #carlsonimpact #volunteer #givingback #communitysupport #nonprofits #communityinvolvement #buildingrelationships

When planning for retirement, it’s not just a matter of taking your ideal income and adjusting for inflation. In fact, research shows retiree spending trends typically form a “smile”—in other words, retirees spend a lot early on as they enjoy leisure, consume less as they slow down due to aging and health needs/complications, and increase spending again toward end-of-life on costs like long-term care. So, what are the impacts of this retirement spending smile? For individuals like you, it could lead to over-saving (and creating more stress and anxiety) if you build a retirement plan around static rates. Instead, as our own Kyle Fellers says, it’s wise to account for potential changes in your future spending habits. On a large scale, the steep drop in retirement spending could hurt the economy if younger people don’t engage in enough activity to offset the decline. Remember, while saving for a comfortable retirement is essential, so is enjoying the earlier stages of life! Learn more about the retirement spending smile in our recent article: https://lnkd.in/dhbdDGNJ #retirementspending #retirementadvice #retirementtips #financetips #retirementstrategy

Congratulations to our own Alan (AJ) Rattee for completing his first half marathon! 🏅 AJ ran the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon & 5K on October 6th at Hampton Beach. It was the 17th anniversary of the half marathon and is the largest running event in New Hampshire - between the 5K and half marathon, the race included over 7,000 runners! AJ and his fiancé have been training since July to prepare for the race. Running 13.1 miles is no small feat, and we’re proud to have him on our team bringing that same energy to everything he does. Congrats again on a job well done! 🎉

What does your retirement savings strategy look like—and have you accounted for the retirement spending smile? As our Relationship & Portfolio Manager, Kyle Fellers, explains, the retirement spending smile shows that retirees’ spending habits are a bit different than many assume. In a 2014 article for the Journal of Financial Planning titled “Exploring the Retirement Consumption Puzzle,” David Blanchett discussed the actual spending patterns of retirees and their impact on retirement savings. Research shows that retirees tend to spend more early in retirement as they enjoy activities like traveling, dining out, and their favorite hobbies. As retirees age and slow down, spending decreases as they stay closer to home. Spending picks up again later in retirement as they deal with increased medical expenses, including more doctor’s appointments, medical tests, procedures, and medications. Then, as they reach the end-of-life stage, retirees tend to see a spike in expenses for needs like long-term care and even more healthcare costs. If you want to ensure you’re building a dynamic retirement spending plan, contact Carlson Investments to speak with a representative today! https://lnkd.in/gJssiFjz #retirementspending #retirementsavings #retirementplanningtips #personalfinance

“Most people utilize a dynamic and fluctuating retirement spending plan. Understanding the reasons why can help alleviate stress and concerns when planning your retirement,” explains Carlson Investments Relationship & Portfolio Manager Kyle Fellers. However, many—including advisors—still start with an assumed retirement income goal and project that amount plus inflation over the lifetime of the retiree. When you look at statistics and gauge actual future retirement expenses, it’s clear this cookie-cutter approach isn’t accurate. Why? Because of something known as the “retirement spending smile.” This concept refers to retirees’ spending and consumption patterns as they proceed through their retirement and what this means for our retirement strategies. Read our latest article for more about this phenomenon and how to keep it in mind as you plan for your future: https://lnkd.in/dhbdDGNJ #retirementspendingsmile #retirementsavings #retirementplanning #retirementgoals #financialplanning

So you’re familiar with 401(k) employer matching—but what happens if you have a Roth plan? If you have a Roth 401(k), you pay income taxes on your contributions now, just as you do in a Roth IRA. Because your employer, in most cases, doesn’t pay your income taxes on matching contributions, their contributions usually go into a separate regular pre-tax 401(k). This means when you withdraw, you’ll pay taxes on the Traditional 401(k) funds. There are exceptions in which an employer will match in a Roth 401(k), though this is rare. Are you getting your “free lunch”? Don’t miss out on additional retirement savings because you haven’t signed up correctly! Review your 401(k) and check with your company’s HR department to ensure you’re getting your employer match. And if you need a comprehensive review of your retirement strategy, we’ll be happy to guide you. Contact us today: https://lnkd.in/gJssiFjz #employermatching #retirementplanning #employeebenefits #401ksavings