As the saying goes, if it is too good to be true, it usually is. In this case it is true, thanks to a recent inflation indicator.

A little-known type of U.S Government bonds called I-bonds are currently yielding more than 7%. The I-bond is a type of U.S. savings bond that is indexed to the Consumer Price Index’s trailing 6 month change. When the Treasury reset the rate at the beginning of November it was 7.12% annualized. This rate will be effective until May 2022.

Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, have exploded in popularity this year, but most investors are still not familiar with these entities, sometimes called blank-check companies. 

In their most recent study about stress in America, the American Psychological Association found that 72 percent of people felt stressed about money. Finances can be a constant stressor for some, no matter what significant events influence it. Still, it’s no secret that the pandemic transformed the workforce rapidly and wreaked long-term havoc on the economy in 2020. Many people experienced food insecurity due to the unexpected impact of financial loss, and according to a survey published in November, 2020, about 63 percent of Americans had been living paycheck to paycheck since the start of the pandemic.

As a portfolio manager at Carnegie Investment Counsel, I am involved with creating portfolios designed to help clients meet their goals. For individuals, corporations or nonprofits, investment policy statements (IPS) are a way to outline goals and objectives. Outside of work, I serve as an investment committee member for my church's endowment. As such, I am sharing my IPS experience as a portfolio manager and as a community member in my church. Let's start with some basics.

Brittany Blazey loves to think of ways to make her clients feel valued. Her role as the Relationship Manager at our Toledo Office is a perfect fit for a person with a heart for taking care of clients.

Thinking about another marriage as you approach retirement? What are the financial considerations?

Getting married at any point in life is an exciting step toward personal and shared fulfillment. But getting married later in life can be both exciting and potentially challenging, at least from a financial standpoint. Compared to those who are marrying for the first time, people who remarry likely have to solve a much more complicated financial equation in order to be prosperous.

Before you tie the knot a second or third time, you and your future spouse should have an open and sincere discussion regarding your respective finances. Some points in this conversation will probably be uncomfortable, but you can avoid future arguments by laying all your financial cards on the table today. Consider the following discussion points:

We continue our series profiling different financial advisors at Carnegie Investment Counsel with our wealth advisor, Ian Matheson at our Carnegie Investment Counsel office in Ft. Myers, Florida.

Pass Go and collect $200: Ian Matheson helps make it that easy to feel good about your investment strategy, with a little extra knowledge and dedication.

Ian Matheson grew up playing Monopoly, but he learned to work with real money at a young age. In fact, when he was in the eighth grade, he started competing with his father, Robert Matheson, to pick stocks and mutual funds. It’s almost natural that he has been a wealth advisor for over 20 years now.

On a monitor across from my desk, two screens share constantly updating market news from earnings reports to headlines. On my phone, Twitter flashes the latest evaluations and thoughts from, well, thought leaders. Bloomberg provides analytics, data and even more financial news. The flow of information is good and valuable. Everyone can access this information. It’s a far cry from years ago when we had to wait to receive faxes of earnings reports. Now financial information is certainly becoming more “democratized”. But these volumes of information are a challenge for individuals to process, even if those individuals are professionals.

At Carnegie, the word “counsel” in our name speaks to the expertise we bring to investment management. But how does the Carnegie approach work in practice? How do we synthesize information together as a team to help portfolio managers digest it and make decisions for our clients’ portfolios?

Suddenly find yourself winning the lottery or with an unexpected inheritance? Or maybe you sold your company for a surprising amount. Managing sudden wealth includes both mental and financial considerations. So while it may seem like a dream come true for some, it can be detrimental to those who don’t know how to manage the sudden event.. Here are 12 steps to help you survive and thrive:

We learned a lot about ourselves in 2020. Below are some "Do's and Don'ts" we should keep in mind for the coming year: