The coronavirus crisis has changed the economy and the way you invest in it. Does that make your 401(k) or 403(b) investments out of date? Here are three tips with action items to help you update your account today.

The irony of COVID happening in the year 2020 has not been lost on me. If we could ever hope to benefit from hindsight, that time is certainly now. While we have all spent years complaining about our daily grind, we suddenly miss it terribly; and the choices we once took for granted seem like luxuries. (I know that I am going through serious movie theater withdrawal.) Alas, changes must be made, and we humans have an incredible history of adaptability. I have been a financial advisor for more than 20 years, and I know there are positives even during tough times like these. From conversations with clients, friends, and family these past weeks, I would say that priorities have shifted. Most are missing family, some are cooking more, and many are recognizing that their personal finances cannot survive on autopilot. When I sat down to write this article, I immediately went to the thesaurus to look up alternatives to the word “plan.” Some people, like me, are natural planners. They make lists; they thrive on routine; they worry about what they may have missed. Others, quite literally, avoid any reference to the word. This article is for the latter group…and you know who you are.

Propel Financial Advisors works with you to determine the best investment approach for your IRA rollover. We work with our clients to craft personalized investment portfolios; you get a custom fit. We keep up with the markets and investment strategies so you can spend your time on what matters to you. We stay in regular contact with you and are always available.

This week's reads feature: (1) Warren Buffet's realistic message to investors; (2) AMC's side of the dispute with Universal over the Trolls World Tour movie; (3) A labor success story for Domino's workers in Southern California; (4) How Coronavirus has infiltrated critical food factories, including a bread mix factory in Southern Illinois; (5) An in-depth look at the state of the concert business. It's not just fans hurting, but also the venues, their employees, bouncers, roadies, and more who work summer concerts and festivals; and a Bonus article on the increase of Americans without retirement savings moving in with their millennial children.

This week’s read feature: (1) kinks in the US supply chain for masks, and (2) potential kinks for our farmers. We’re also watching (3) continuous legal changes with the CARES act, for example, changes to RMD rules this year; (4) looking to history to see how economies responded to past pandemics; and (5) economic policy suggestions from the International Monetary Fund.

This week's reads feature: (1) A very American story about capitalism consuming our national preparedness and resiliency; (2) A piece by, James Stewart, a highly regarded financial reporter for the New York Times and who appears regularly on CNBC, tells his personal story of investing through the current market turmoil. He tells how he lost his disciplined approach to investing in the emotional turmoil of the coronavirus. His problem? He was doing it all himself. A less emotional financial advisor would have been helpful in implementing a strategy that suited his objectives.; (3) Tom Colicchio, award-winning restaurateur, Top Chef head judge, and food activist, tells the story of what it’s like to lay off nearly 300 employees—and how he wants us to rethink unchecked capitalism; (4) As coronavirus sweeps the globe, there is not a single Trilogy Evo Universal ventilator — developed with government funds — in the U.S. stockpile; and (5) The CARES Act makes it easier to gain access to retirement accounts in a pinch, but they're not likely to be your best source of emergency cash.

Congress passed the SECURE Act in December of 2019 with bipartisan support. It is supposed to promote increased retirement savings, but the most glaring change is the ACCELERATED TAX on inherited retirement accounts. Thought Estate Tax was only imposed on the most wealthy? Think again. Come enjoy refreshments and have a conversation about what this law means for you.

Clients and potential clients often admit to being uninformed and/or overwhelmed by the myriad of terms and ideas that are thrown around by investment professionals. Here at Propel, we strive to reduce some of that discomfort by answering questions and repeating ideas in different ways to give our clients a chance to understand how these concepts apply to them. As we approach the end of 2019, we are thrilled to have had a recent influx of new clients (lately they have come from Tennessee, Illinois and Florida) who are brand new to investing.

Recently, Bank of America Merrill Lynch published data on cumulative flows (money movement) in equity and fixed income for their retail investor accounts, i.e., accounts not managed by an investment advisor.

In late May 2019, the House passed the Secure (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act by a bipartisan majority (417-3). The bill currently awaits passage by the Senate. Many analysts expect it to pass substantially as-is, although there is some squabbling over revised rules for 529 plans (college savings plans). The impetus behind the bill is to help rectify the looming retirement crisis – the majority of Americans are not on track with their retirement savings. One goal of the act is to incentivize employers to put retirement plans in place.