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As concern rises about the spread of the coronavirus, we wanted to let you know that we at Patriot are closely monitoring this situation to maintain very high service levels and minimize disruption. We have taken prudent steps and have carefully reviewed our plans to ensure business continuity. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. We are here for you. Read More

Our Insights

CARES Act Financial Advisor, Financial Planning

Benefits Of The CARES Act For Individuals

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A summary of the biggest economic bill in history for individuals The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – the CARES Act – is the largest economic bill in U.S. history and was designed to “provide emergency assistance and health care response for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.” Spanning close to 900 pages, the comprehensive aid package covers a lot, including direct payments to Americans, expanded unemployment insurance, changes to retirement rules, and billions

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bear wearing a face mask with plummeting stock prices in background

Quarterly Market Commentary – 1st Quarter 2020

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Markets Close 1st Quarter of 2020 by Rewriting the Record Books The first quarter of 2020 is over and investors are glad that it’s in the rear-view mirror. Remember when your parents said, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?” It was that kind of quarter. Here is a quick snapshot: The DJIA lost more than 23% for the quarter, its worst since the fourth quarter of 1987 It was the worst first quarter for the

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Bear Market and the coronavirus

What Do You Really Know About Bear Markets?

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The Coronavirus Bear Kicked The 11-year Bull Off Of Wall Street Very Fast A “bear market” occurs when stock prices are falling, and then widespread pessimism sustains the continued drop in prices.  The stock market becomes a bear market whenever stock prices have fallen over 20% from their previous highs, as seen in market indexes like the S&P 500. Investors lose confidence in the market as they anticipate further losses.  A “bull market”, on the other hand, comes with rising stock prices and increasing investor confidence.  Stock prices rise by at least

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children in professional clothing looking at financial documents

Who is Doing Your Taxes? Are They Qualified?

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Make sure they can certify your tax returns and have the right credentials Tax season looms, but who will prepare your return? If you don’t do your own, then make sure your preparer has the right professional designation. Two warning signs: If the person who prepares your return does not sign it, certifying that it is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge; or, The preparer does not have one of the right credentials. Either way, beware. You

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Bulls running off a cliff titled Wall Street

Don’t Turn A Temporary Decline Into A Permanent Loss

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On Thursday, February 27, 2020, stocks around the world fell sharply amidst a huge spike in volatility as investors were bombarded with more news about the coronavirus and its impact on corporate earnings and global economies. In the U.S., the major indices retreated into official correction territory, having dropped 10% from their recent highs earlier in the month. By the time the final bell tolled on February 27th, stunned investors saw that: The DJIA gave back 1,190 points and came

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Woman blowing her nose with caption "get the shot, not the flu"

Why Do Less than Half of Us Get the Flu Shot? (And Even Less Use A Financial Advisor?)

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It is almost impossible to predict when, how severe or for how long flu season will be from one year to the next. But the Center for Disease control has estimated that the economic impact of the flu is a staggering $87 billion each year, including: $16.3 billion in loss of earnings $10.4 billion in direct employer costs 70 million employee work days lost 31.4 million outpatient visits 3.1 million hospitalized days Further, the CDC reported that in the past

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Map of the United States with pins in it

The Housing Market Looks Robust to Start 2020

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Is housing a leading economic indicator or lagging indicator? Or neither? Historically, the housing industry has led the U.S. out of a recession and many economists consider new housing starts to be a leading economic indicator versus a lagging indicator. Think of it this way: If new housing starts rise, intuitively it means builders are optimistic about the demand in the future for newly constructed homes. If, on the other hand, housing starts fall, builders are getting more cautious because they think home sales

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Financial Advisor, Goals

Planning to Make New Year’s Resolutions (And Goals) Stick

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A framework to help you be among the 8% that sticks to resolutions and goals Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? Set any goals for the year? One of the smartest ones could be to get your finances in order. But keeping that promise to yourself is another matter. A lot of people make money resolutions. According to study after study, the most popular resolution every year is to lose weight, followed by getting organized, and saving

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2019 Yearly market review

2019 Market Review

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2019 Was a Fantastic Year for Investors Stock markets in the U.S. and around the globe turned in a fantastic 2019, driven by U.S. equities, specifically large-cap U.S. equities. Along the way, 2019 brought plenty of records, including: Record Highs. As the S&P 500 climbed consistently throughout the year, it also recorded 34 new record highs and turned in the best year in more than half a decade. Longest Expansion on Record. Earlier this summer, our current economic expansion passed

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Dollar-wrap box with red box and caption "spend your bonus wisely - year end holidays"

Spending Your Year-End Bonus

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Spending money isn’t a bad thing, but spend mindfully Did you receive a year-end bonus for 2019? Suspend your visions of spending on exotic trips for a moment and instead evaluate how to make the most of this extra money. Your year-end bonus remains taxable income and you can make smart decisions to use it responsibly, as you do (presumably) all your other pay. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself a little, but keep priorities in mind. Consider these

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