U.S. stock markets rose, but gains have evaporated a bit with the Fed’s most recent rate hike and data pointing to a tight labor market. Central banks are also becoming more nuanced in their fight against inflation. Consumers are still out there, the economy is still moving ahead, unemployment obviously still positive, but a recession could still be on the horizon. All this and more on Protect Your Assets this week. 

Reducing the taxes you pay in retirement means you likely will need to withdraw less money from your savings each year to cover expenses. As a result, your savings may last longer, leaving more money available to spend on things you enjoy. While most people understand this, many often fail to fully appreciate the control they could have over taxes. People who acquire large amounts of wealth often recognize that many strategies exist to control when taxes will be paid. More important is the realization that by timing when taxes are paid, opportunities arise to also control the amount of those taxes. With the planned sunsetting of the 2018 Tax Cuts and Job Acts and concern that tax rates might be rising in the future, now is an ideal time to understand the extent of your control your taxes and how this might lead to a more confident and enjoyable lifestyle now—not to mention your retirement.

Are you thinking of retiring this year? Now is the time to start planning—from what to do with cash sitting in your bank account to how to withdraw your Social Security benefits most effectively. Hear three retirement pitfalls to avoid.

Plus, the market had a great week last week, and jobless claims near multi-decade lows. It’s unclear how much economic growth we will see and how the strong labor market will impact earnings. The buzz also continues to be around if we’ll have a hard or soft landing from the Fed. Particularly strong January performance has often been a signal of above-average gains for the year ahead. Going forward, The Sandman thinks recessionary pressures are going to continue, and we’ll continue to see falling corporate earnings and layoffs, particularly in the tech sector, causing volatility in this first half of the year. Catch the rest of the weekly market report on this week’s episode.

The market had a great week last week, and jobless claims near multi-decade lows. It’s unclear how much economic growth we will see and how the strong labor market will impact earnings. The buzz also continues to be around if we’ll have a hard or soft landing from the Fed. Particularly strong January performance has often been a signal of above-average gains for the year ahead. Going forward, The Sandman thinks recessionary pressures are going to continue, and we’ll continue to see falling corporate earnings and layoffs, particularly in the tech sector, causing volatility in this first half of the year. Catch the rest of the weekly market report on this week’s episode.