Insights

For federal employees, the FERS survivor benefit election is about more than choosing between a higher pension today and a lower pension with survivor protection. It can affect your spouse’s lifetime income and health insurance coverage after your death. Take a closer look at the decision and why evaluating the numbers alone may not tell the whole story.

Major U.S. stocks ended the last full week of trading in August modestly higher. Strong AI company earnings boosted tech shares, while the war with Iran, persistent inflation, and a more hawkish Federal Reserve dampened investor enthusiasm for risk.

What's Inside: Will Capex Pave the Way to an AI-Powered Future?; New Job or Retirement? Take Control of Your 401(k); Helping Protect Your Child's Identity in a Digital World; New and Improved Tax Treatment for Qualified Small Business Stock; The College Landscape in 2026; and Test Your Knowledge of Estate Planning

Planning to retire at 65? Learn how employer health insurance and Medicare work together, including Part B deadlines, HSA rules, COBRA coverage, and potential penalties.

The benchmark indexes closed lower last week, snapping a multi-week winning streak. Despite a rally last Friday, stocks retreated in response to elevated Treasury yields, rising crude oil prices, mixed corporate earnings, and weakness in key tech and mega-cap shares.

A will is an important part of an estate plan, but it may not control many of your most significant assets, such as retirement accounts, life insurance, and jointly held property. This article explains why reviewing beneficiary designations and creating a more comprehensive estate plan can help ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes.

Every August, we “Chart the Course” with a series of charts highlighting key current and historic trends in the economy and markets. We hope you find them both insightful and useful. Our regular commentary will resume in September.

The stock market closed generally higher last week, despite a minor setback last Friday. Market momentum was driven by cooling inflation data, solid Q2 corporate earnings reports, and strengthening opinions that the Federal Reserve may posture a more dovish approach to interest rates in the near term.