Talking to Your Financial Advisor During Market Volatility
When market volatility occurs, it’s completely natural to feel anxious about your finances. This is an uncomfortable time for all investors, seasoned and new. It’s important to remember that market volatility is nothing new. If you’re working with a financial advisor, your financial plan …
Market Commentary: January Off to a Good Start as the Rally Broadens Out
The story so far of 2026 has been all about rotation. The “Magnificent 7” stocks (Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Tesla) have lagged the S&P 500 by a wide margin, but other areas and groups have taken the baton. The lifeblood of a bull market is rotation, and we fi …
Inside the AI Boom: What You Should Know in 2026
Among the many shifts in 2025, few were as striking as the speed and scale of artificial intelligence development. It was only about three years ago that OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public, yet the AI boom is already reshaping markets. While past investment waves, such as the internet bo …
Your Money
MoreTalking to Your Financial Advisor During Market Volatility
When market volatility occurs, it’s completely natural to feel anxious about your finances. This is an uncomfortable time for all investors, seasoned and new. It’s important to remember that market volatility is nothing new. If you’re working with a financial advisor, your financial plan …
2026 Calendar: Key Tasks & Financial Dates
Get ready to tackle 2026 with this month-by-month financial task list. We’ve also included important dates so you won’t miss key deadlines. Download the checklist today to get started.
10 End-of-Year Tax Planning Tips
The last few weeks of the year can offer some final opportunities to shape your tax outlook—not just for this year, but for years to come. December shouldn’t be a scramble—it should be intentional. This is the moment you can align your financial picture with year-end deadlines, market condi …

2026 Calendar: Key Tasks & Financial Dates
Tackle 2026 with this month-by-month financial task list. We’ve also included important dates so you won’t miss any key deadlines.
Your Business
More3 Things All Valuable Businesses Have
Building a business that’s truly valuable takes more than hard work and good timing. It’s about creating something that can thrive, adapt, and grow—with or without you at the helm. Whether you’re planning for a future sale or succession or simply want to build long-term value, it’s importa …
Is Your Business Worth as Much as You Think?
As a business owner, you already know your company has value. It supports your lifestyle, pays your employees, and provides products or services your clients rely on. But here’s the big question: If someone asked you today what your business is worth, could you give them a confident answer? …
4 Unforeseen Third-Party Sales Challenges for Small Business Owners
Many business owners assume their exit path will be a sale to a third party. In fact, some entrepreneurs start their businesses with the goal of finding a larger buyer, selling the business, and moving on to their next business idea. A cash sale can definitely draw business owners toward th …

Business Succession Planning Checklist
You remember your first day of business. But what about your last day? Succession planning is more complex than it may seem. Our guide walks you through the details.
Your Retirement
MoreThe Basics of Required Minimum Distributions With Your Retirement Account
Many retirement accounts—including 401(k)s and IRAs—give individuals the ability to save for retirement in a potentially tax-advantaged manner. Contributions are often tax-deductible, and gains are tax-deferred. This means your retirement funds can grow without being taxed until you start w …
How Much Will Healthcare Cost in Retirement?
When saving for retirement, we often dream about all the things we’ll be able to do with that money—traveling, going out to eat, maybe trying new hobbies. But the reality is that there are also everyday household expenses that you should account for in your post-retirement budget. Less fun …
Which Medicare Plan Is Best for You?
Choosing the right Medicare plan is one of the most important decisions seniors face. It’s also one of the most difficult. The healthcare system isn’t user-friendly to begin with. Stack all the Medicare options on top of that, and you’ve got yourself a challenge. That’s why it’s a good id …

Medicare and Managing Health Care Costs in Retirement
Health care costs in retirement aren't going anywhere. Naturally, as our bodies get older, it costs more to keep them running. Let's look at the parts of this vital program and how it plays a part in your financial plan.
Your Legacy
MoreIs a Donor-Advised Fund for Charitable Giving a Good Fit?
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a charitable giving account that can play a valuable role in a charitable giving strategy—popular for its tax efficiency, flexibility, and simplicity. This resource can help you determine if a DAF could be worth considering as a useful addition to your overall …
Charitable Giving Strategies in a High-Income Year
The end of the year offers an ideal opportunity to look both forward and backward—reflecting on recent achievements while setting goals for the upcoming months. For many people, it’s also a time to review their finances and identify charitable moves that can help lower their tax bill. If y …
Including Charitable Giving in Your Financial Planning
If you’re interested in making a lasting impact for the causes that matter most to you, you may want to include charitable giving in your financial plan. In this on-demand webinar, Carson’s Heather Zack, Private Client Services – Solutions Strategist, will share information about charitable …

A Guide to Gifting to Your Heirs
Gifting to your loved ones now or posthumously each carries their own positives and negatives as they relate to your estate plan, taxes, your goals and your legacy.
Your Freedom
MoreCompounding Wealth (and Wisdom): The Power of Compound Interest
No single strategy works forever, but you also don’t want to change your approach every time the markets shift slightly. How does investing work – not just for a season or a year or two, but for a lifetime? Time is a major factor when it comes to successful investing.
How to Make Charitable Giving Part of Your Financial Plan
COVID-19 caused an economic shockwave that we’ll feel for a long time. Nonprofits, from large global networks to the local churches, have been hit hard, too. In a recent survey of 110 nonprofits, 80% of them said revenue had fallen across the board.
7 Economic Myths Busted
By Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist We’ve been hearing many of the same myths over and over, yet we don’t think they are the big worry that the media and many make them out to be. These are legitimate concerns and have many investors worried, but we think the chances of them becoming l …

When Shifting Goals Mean Shifting Plans
Your financial plan shouldn't look the same at 55 as it did when you were 35, right? So how do you know when it's time to adjust your plan?
Market & Investments
MoreMarket Commentary: January Off to a Good Start as the Rally Broadens Out
The story so far of 2026 has been all about rotation. The “Magnificent 7” stocks (Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Tesla) have lagged the S&P 500 by a wide margin, but other areas and groups have taken the baton. The lifeblood of a bull market is rotation, and we fi …
Inside the AI Boom: What You Should Know in 2026
Among the many shifts in 2025, few were as striking as the speed and scale of artificial intelligence development. It was only about three years ago that OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public, yet the AI boom is already reshaping markets. While past investment waves, such as the internet bo …
Outlook ’26 Webinar: Riding the Wave
The markets finished 2025 on a strong note, but questions and potential headwinds exist as we head into the new year, and we’ll likely still see some volatility throughout 2026. Has AI spending created a bubble? What does history say about this current bull market continuing its run? Should …

Market Outlook 2026: Riding the Wave
Our Market Outlook 2026: Riding the Wave is geared toward helping investors navigate the ongoing bull market as we enter the new year. Carson Investment Research provides crucial insights and analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing investors.
In the News
More5 Common Retirement Fears and How to Overcome Them
By Erin Wood, CFP®, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions If we’re to believe everything we see in magazine and TV ads, retirement is a time of leisurely bike rides with your spouse, lunching with friends and exploring hobbies like painting or ceramics, all done i …
Do I Need a Financial Advisor? How to Know What You Need Now
By Erin Wood, CFP®, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions, Carson Group Do I need a financial advisor? Given what I do for a living, I get this question a lot. I may be biased, but I think almost everyone would benefit from some kind of advice for their money. …
Do You Have a Cognitive Decline Plan?
By Erin Wood, CFP®, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions, Carson Group My paternal grandmother was the type of woman who was always bustling with activity, whether it was hosting post-church lunches every Sunday or helping a neighbor in need. So, it was a bit …
