A living trust is a legal document you create. At the same time, you're alive to ensure that the assets you place in the trust, such as real estate, stock and bond holdings, CDs, and jewelry, are distributed in the manner you specify after your death, without your beneficiaries having to go through court probate to receive the assets you leave them.

People are frequently unprepared for what lies ahead and disregard indications to pursue a safer path. Many people have never had their portfolios stress-tested to determine how they would perform if circumstances changed or there was an economic disaster. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Before the month ended, I wanted to record a quick video about what's happening with the markets and your investments. Also, I wanted to chat about some strategies to take advantage of the high-interest rates and some tax-reduction strategies.

I wanted to take a moment and review a couple of things with you in this month's market update. I'm providing some news about the Charles Schwab transition, the state of the country's inflation, the economic repercussions that the Middle East tragic conflict will bring, and much more.

In comparison to a year ago, households' expectations for the future and their current financial status are less favorable, as per the August 2023 Survey of Consumer Expectations from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Center for Microeconomic Data.

Professionals in the oil and gas business have been vocal about their displeasure with the state of the industry for the past several years. Oil and gas consumption has decreased, and prices have become more unstable as a result of the COVID-19-induced global slowdown.

In the past, at least, federal government shutdowns haven't always been particularly negative for equities. The market detests the possibility of a federal government shutdown, which becomes more likely starting on October 1, but the S&P 500 has done very well when there have been shutdowns in the past.

It is normal to meet someone who feels all their assets, including their retirement savings, should be in equities. The logic is that, over time, stocks are one of the best venues for growth, which is correct.

Investing to achieve financial independence is rarely a get-rich-quick endeavor for people who seek it. Although it's not common, some people have made a fortune from a single, significant cryptocurrency sale. The majority of prosperous investors draft a long-term strategy and tweak it as time passes and new possibilities present themselves.

Although it can be exciting to talk about a bull market, you might want to temper that a little. This is the reason why: Investment returns are not guaranteed, even in the event that the market's overall value surges.