Womack Investment Advisers

 Memorial Day is a day to pay our respects to Americans who have fallen serving in American Wars. Offering your respect can be done in many ways and here are just a few to consider: 1. Fly your American flag at half-staff from Sunrise until Noon. After Noon, the flag is raised up to its full glory to demonstrate the American spirit. 2. Participate in a “National Moment of Remembrance” at 3:00 p.m. on May 27th. Observe a minute of silence at 3 o’clock local time for those who have given their lives. 3. Donate Blood to the American Red Cross. Remember those heroes who are gone by becoming a hero to someone who needs blood or blood parts. 4. Say “Thank You” to a Veteran. This can be as informal as saying thanks to a soldier in uniform or shaking the hand of a veteran. 5. Visit a National Memorial or Monument. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Pearl Harbor Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery are just a few you could visit. Another way to show your respect...

Wouldn't it be something if you could plump up your retirement savings as easily as you can put on a few pounds eating fast food? Here's one way to do it: Open a health savings account (HSA). It offers a triple tax advantage and you can contribute the maximum every year. Here's the catch: not everyone can do this. HSAs are like side dishes. They are only available to people enrolled in their employers' high-deductible health insurance plans (HDHP) and who do not participate in any other health insurance plans. In addition, the HDHP must have minimum deductibles ($1,300 for an individual and $2,600 for a family for 2017) and maximum out-of-pocket costs ($6,550 for an individual and $13,100 for a family for 2017). If you are enrolled in a plan that meets these requirements, then you may be able to fatten up your retirement savings with an HSA. HSAs offer a triple tax advantage: Contributions are tax-deductible Any interest and earnings grow tax-d...

In 2015, Pew Research investigated whether aging parents received more assistance from adult children or adult children received more assistance from parents. In the United States, Italy, and Germany, they found parents provide more financial assistance to their adult children than the adult children provide to their parents. The survey found 39 percent of American parents had helped their adult children with errands, housework, or home repairs during the past twelve months, and 48 percent had helped with childcare. Almost two-thirds had provided monetary support. Financial help appeared to be contingent on parents' circumstances. Those with higher household incomes were more likely to give money to adult children. Becoming the 'Bank of Mom and Dad' can be a slippery slope, according to AARP Magazine . Since parent-child relationships can be emotionally fraught, it's sometimes difficult to gauge when financial assistance is a good idea and when it...

In the midst of last Wednesday’s market plunge numerous financial websites weighed in on whether it was time to “buy the dip” or “throw in the towel”.  One writer, Wolf Richter (editor-in-chief of the Wolf Street Blog), advised readers that according to one indicator they would strongly want to consider the latter.  The Hagerty Market Index tracks the prices of cars— not just any cars, but very expensive classic collectible cars.  Hagerty is the leading insurer of classic collectible cars, and is thus intimately knowledgeable of their values.   According to Richter, the reason the Hagerty Index is important is that classic car prices often move similarly to – and sometimes lead – prices of other assets such as equities and real estate.  Richter writes “The global asset class of collector cars ... is quietly but persistently and very unenjoy...

Weekly Market Commentary May 22, 2017 The Markets How much is too much? There has been no shortage of drama since the new administration took office – legislative setbacks, controversial hiring and firing, and fiery tweets on various topics. Regardless, U.S. investors and markets remained stalwart until last week when the CBOE Volatility Index (a.k.a. the fear gauge) jumped 46 percent higher and markets declined. Financial Times explained: “…a range of stock benchmarks made their biggest single-day fall since November, as the political controversy over Donald Trump ties with Russia undermined investors’ faith in the administration’s ability to enact its pro-growth policies. Markets subsequently steadied, but investors are primed for further volatility as the White House faces the distraction of a lengthy inquiry led by an independent special counsel.” Markets recovered some ground late in the week as the influence of Washington, D.C. drama was off...