Just a few weeks ago, Wall Street news was trending on social media – even during the NFL playoff season – which is highly unusual. The reason? A recent flurry of return spikes for a handful of U.S. stocks captivated investors and non-investors alike.

Many news reports rightly emphasized the unprecedented nature of the health crisis, the emergency financial actions, and other extraordinary events during 2020. The year saw many “firsts”—and subsequent years will doubtless usher in many more. Yet 2020’s outcomes remind us that a consistent investment approach is a reliable path regardless of the market events we encounter.

Dividend payouts are viewed as a reliable source of income by many investors. Those expecting to receive consistent dividend income, however, may have been surprised to see lower-than-expected dividend payouts following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, when both market volatility and market declines were extraordinary.

With uncertainty over whether President-Elect Joe Biden’s tax policy proposals will have enough support to pass, what should taxpayers do - act now on certain planning strategies or take a wait-and-see approach?

Encouraged by a sooner-than-anticipated resolution to the contested president election and positive development toward a vaccine, the S&P 500 returned nearly 11% in November.

As you plan for retirement, are you prepared to cover costs for health care? Medicare provides health insurance for Americans age 65 or older. Much like with private insurance plans, you have options for your coverage.

We explain the basics of Social Security retirement benefits, including eligibility, how your amount is impacted by your retirement age, and spousal and family benefits.

Investors should base their portfolio decisions on expected future returns, not recent realized returns, and the two can differ by a lot.

Uncertainty is uncomfortable. Investors deal with uncertainty every day as there is no guarantee of future outcomes. Elections are another cog in the wheel of uncertainty that adds to uneasiness regarding investor portfolios and the market. Investors must understand – and anticipate – the correlation between the outcomes of the election and the markets, if any.