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Insights

Our thinking, for the taking. Stay on top of your financial well-being with insights from McKinley Carter strategists and portfolio managers. Uncover the latest on the economy, investing and retiring, along with other timely ideas and information.

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Prudence

Dear Prudence: What is Prudence Anyway?

When it comes to monitoring and selecting investments, the responsibility lies with the ERISA fiduciary for managing your company’s 401(k) plan, and this means the fiduciary is subject to ERISA’s prudent man rule (sometimes referred to as the “prudent expert rule”). What exactly is a prudent expert?

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Reshuffle

The Retirement Reshuffle Is Impacting Plan Sponsors

Across the nation, more and more workers are expecting to postpone retirement. And delays don’t just affect employees — more than a third of employers are concerned about increased health and benefit costs, negative impacts on their staff’s mental health and barriers to hiring new talent.

If you sponsor a retirement plan, you’re already doing something important to encourage employees to retire comfortably and on time. However, while 68% of American workers have access to a 401(k), only 41% are actively contributing to it. Working with your advisor can help you design the right benefits package for your organization. Learn more.

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SSN

Without Congressional Action the Social Security Trust Funds will be Exhausted in 2034

If current trends continue, the Social Security trust funds will be completely depleted in 2034. This is according to the most recent annual report published by the Trustees of Social Security. This is one year sooner than was projected in last year’s report. Find out more.

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Attention Skeptics: Unclaimed Property Notices May Be Worth Looking Into

We’ve all heard the statement that If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, we’ve become so conditioned to ignoring items that fall into this “free found money” category that we cross the line from skeptical to cynical. Skepticism is healthy, cynicism is not. Even the statement itself contains the word “probably.”

What I’m referring to here is the unclaimed property accounts all states have. You may have seen articles or ads telling you there might be money in your name, and all you must do is fill out a form to get it. It definitely sounds like one of those too good to be true proclamations. However, in this case it isn’t. Here's why it may be worth your while to look into it.

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Moving the Goal Posts – When Will it Stop?

The S&P 500 ended the first quarter of 2023 with a solid gain as hopes for an economic “soft landing” gave confidence to investors that enough damage had been done to stock prices in 2022 and that the Federal Reserve would soon stop moving the interest rate “goal posts.” However, stock and bond markets were volatile during the period as investors wrestled with the Fed’s ongoing proclamations regarding the timing and magnitude of further interest rate hikes. Despite the biggest bank failures since the financial crisis taking place during the quarter, Fed Chair Jerome Powell maintained his hawkish position regarding inflation and the need to further tighten financial conditions to curb consumer demand for goods and services. Read more from Senior Investment Strategist Dave Nolan on his 1Q2023 market recap and what may lie ahead in the remainder of 2023.

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SECURE Act 2.0’s Enhancements for the Charitably Minded

Chatter abounds in the world of finance law since the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act 2.0 became law on December 29, 2022. Built upon the work that was started in the original SECURE Act of 2019, the sequel creates further enhancements that impact how individuals and families may prepare for the lives they envision in retirement, as well as how they navigate that dream once it is achieved.

Among the enhancements introduced in the bill are additional benefits for those retirees who are engaged in giving back to their communities through charitable gifts. Here are some new considerations that may help you increase the impact of your charitable donations.

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Nonprofits: How to Get Ready to Invest with an IPS

Every nonprofit organization knows that having more available resources equates to having a greater community impact. Thriving organizations usually empower a finance committee to act as their fiduciary and invest their excess funds. What's the best tool to help them achieve their goals? Learn how a strong Investment Policy Statement (IPS) will prepare your nonprofit for investment success.

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Endowments 101: Three Most Common Endowments and How Nonprofits Use Them

The term “endowment” is often used loosely and in reference to an organization's investable assets. However, there are distinct differences among endowments depending on their purpose and use. Learn more.

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Finding the Right Insurance Agent

Protecting your home and auto assets is an important piece to your LifePlan. But finding the right Homeowners and Auto insurance can seem overwhelming. Do you just go with what's easiest and choose someone you know? One way people navigate this complexity is by talking with an independent insurance agent. Independent agents are licensed to sell insurance products from multiple companies instead of being direct employees of just one company. Learn more.

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