Bitcoin 2024

This edition of TGIF 2 Minutes will make a brief attempt at summarizing Bitcoin’s recent meteoric rise to around $95,000. There is still a huge segment of the population who might ask, “$95,000 for what?”. At the same time, Bitcoin has increasingly become an accepted form of currency, although in limited and illiquid ways.

One of the more obvious and possibly over-done in the short-term reasons for Bitcoin’s price rise has been the run-up to and aftermath of the recent US presidential election. Investors seem to expect in the near future a more friendly regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies overall.

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Fraud is Trending

If you clicked on and are reading this edition of TGIF 2 Minutes, give yourself credit for being smart! Awareness of the following is of paramount importance.

Fraudsters are targeting high-net-worth people and non-profit organization accounts.

A “fraud trend” (yes, there is such a thing) currently taking place is with bad actors using social engineering tactics to collect personal information and then using that information to open new credit card, investment, and bank accounts in a person or organization’s name. The fraudster then attempts to use these new, false accounts to take over high net worth people’s existing accounts and withdraw those accounts’ funds.

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Greatest Chart Ever 2024

It’s time for “The Greatest Chart Ever”, updated for 2024.

Please make sure the chart above shows on your screen! If not, please ask me to email you a copy.

Long-time TGIF 2 Minutes readers know this particular chart truly is a great chart* with data illustrating reasons to invest in stocks – and stay invested – for the short-, intermediate- and especially long-term. The information focuses on US stocks, namely the S&P 500, and lends to globally diversified stock investing, as well.

“The Greatest Chart Ever” offers needed perspective in times of volatility and uncertainty. Over a period of more than 40 years of intra-year stock market performance, the chart illustrates valid reasons NOT to allow short-term market moves (monthly, quarterly – or even yearly) to lead to poor investment decisions. Why? Please read on.

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Key Upcoming Changes to 401k & IRA Rules

There are a bunch – almost too many to count – of important details that a valued financial adviser can obsess over, so clients do not have to. One of those details is the 2022 SECURE Act 2.0 which continues to unfold, in two short months starting on January 1, 2025.

A number of the changes affect rules around two items:

  • 401k saving
  • RMDs (required minimum distributions) from Inherited IRAs.

Changes to both will also have present and future tax consequences.

 

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