Insights

Wall Street began 2026 in rather lackluster style, with each of the major benchmark indexes listed here closing the week lower, with the exception of the Global Dow. A brief tech rally last Friday wasn't enough to prevent stocks from closing the week in the red.

What's in this issue: Record Charitable Giving in 2024; Traditional vs. Roth: IRA Preference Differs by Generation; Finish the Year Strong by Considering These Tax Moves; Holiday Tipping Etiquette: Tis' the Season to Show Your Appreciation; Goodbye Passwords, Hello Passkeys; Strategies for Smarter Giving; and Beneficiary Designations: Who Gets the Money?

The stock market declined for most of last week, only to rally last Thursday and Friday. The last two weeks have been "catch-up" periods for the economy with the release of a large influx of economic data following the 43-day government shutdown.