Kaizen Capsules

Are you or someone you know currently making federal student loan payments? In light of the

COVID-19 pandemic, some welcome relief has been implemented for federal student loan payments.  

Don’t forget taxpayers have until July 15^th to file their 1040 form and July 15^th is the deadline to pay any federal taxes owed for 2019.

Whether you want to leave work at 62, 67, or 72, claiming the retirement benefits you are entitled to by federal law is no casual decision. You will want to consider a few key factors first.

YOU MIGHT SPEND LESS – LATER IN RETIREMENT

A 2019 whitepaper by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) indicates that Americans tend to spend less as they age.

In recent days, we have watched as outraged and frustrated protestors spilled out into the streets of American cities. Across our communities, unhealed wounds have been brought vividly to our attention once again.

Hindsight is 20/20. It’s only human to imagine what it might have been like to turn left instead of right on some fateful day. However, that sort of daydreaming is unhelpful when investing, especially when it leads you to try and time the market.

Washington State appears to be the primary target of recent attacks on the unemployment insurance system across the country.

The Internal Revenue Service knows that many taxpayers have had a stressful spring. So, as you may already be aware, they reset the federal tax deadline. We all have until July 15^th  to file our 1040 form. July 15^th is also the deadline to pay any federal taxes owed for 2019.¹

Q1 Quarter’s Recap

• COVID-19 hits the United States and the markets tumble
• Many businesses close their doors in effort to “flatten the curve”
• The Fed lowers rates and takes other actions to help support the economy
• Congress passes the CARES Act in response

If somebody had told you 15 years ago when oil prices were rising above $150 a barrel that oil producers would be paying storage companies to take oil off their hands, what would you have said?  For that matter, what would you have said if somebody had told you these things a month ago?