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 Does that make your 401(k) or 403(b) investments out of date?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) The FDA's balancing act between regulatory oversight and making tests more widely available; (2) Businesses that are seeing a boom during the shutdown; (3) The gap between the market and the real economy; (4) Coronavirus infections have disproportionately affected minority communities. The Federal Bailout package may also be shutting minorities out of relief; (5) With recent meat shortages, The Financial Time’s Alphaville highlights the opportunity for fake meat companies, such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, to grab market share, calling it “one of the most fascinating corners of business.”; and a Bonus article - Can babies learn to love vegetables?

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 reads feature: (1) An interview with Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway, who advises caution in today’s market. “Nobody in America’s ever seen anything like this,” said Mr. Munger. “This thing is different. Everybody talks as if they know what’s going to happen, and nobody knows what’s going to happen.”; (2) Large public companies who took payroll loans meant for small businesses; (3) Disney is risking reputational damage as it slashes costs more severely than rivals. They stopped paying almost half of their workforce, but protected bonus schemes for upper management; (4) Conor Sen of New River Investments predicts a profitless coronavirus recovery. He anticipates that “running physical operations will require an extremely high amount of labor... cleaning crews, drivers, temperature checkers, and so on”; (5) Rich Americans, namely Silicon Valley tycoons, have fled to secret bunkers in New Zealand and South Dakota to ride out the pandemic. Bonus article to mark the price of a barrel of oil falling below zero: Bloomberg reporter Tracey Alloway recounts her experience of actually buying a barrel of crude oil and includes some great insight into how the oil market works.

In general, we advise our clients to achieve self-sufficiency so that in times of crisis, no matter the cause, you are well-positioned to shoulder a downturn. The CARES Act may help you now, but any future benefits are dependent on political winds. We hope you take the time to assess (or re-assess) your financial goals, and modify spending or savings behaviors accordingly to help weather any future storms. Propel Financial Advisors has walked many clients through this process – how can we help you?

There is much hubbub on social media and in advertising about the current mortgage rate environment. Honestly, I’m at a bit of a loss as to why that is, except for the fact that mortgage rates are a positive ray of sunshine in the midst of our otherwise gloomy economic predicament. Let’s explore the facts.

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.

March marks a celebration of both Women’s History Month and Financial Literacy Month. As a financial advising firm majority-owned by women, this month should be right up our alley. March 2020, though, is like no other March most of us have ever experienced with incredible upheaval in people’s daily lives. For many, schools are closed and parents are searching for tools and resources to help teach their children. We decided to combine Women’s History Month, Financial Literacy, and the quest to find homeschooling resources. We hope some of these materials can help parents as they navigate the coming days at home with their children.