Blog

    Compass Sponsors 3rd Annual Fairfield Paddle Fest

    September 9th, 2023 The Fairfield Rotary Club and Compass Wealth Management present the third annual Paddle Fest! Proceeds were awarded to local charitable organizations, including Home of the Brave and Operation Hope. It was another terrific event out on the water with the storm clouds holding off, music playing, and participants paddling their hearts out!…

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    Rethinking Your Retirement Savings

    Employees are often advised to contribute the maximum amount to their 401k for tax savings and compounding potential. However, for high earners this may not always be the best choice.  Surprised? Hear us out. In a traditional 401k, individuals can contribute a portion of their pre-tax income, up to $22,500 for 2023, which grows tax-deferred…

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    Q2 2023 Compass Review

    The second quarter can be summed up in one word: Resilient.  A resilient economy, despite higher interest rates.  A resilient stock market, despite narrow leadership by the tech giants.  A resilient banking system, despite last quarter’s banking failures.  A resilient Ukraine.  And a resilient America, despite a slate of controversial US supreme court cases.   It’s…

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    Life Insurance 101

    The concept of insurance is simple.  It is financial protection for when something bad happens.  Car insurance protects you and your car, home insurance protects your property, and health insurance covers unexpected medical issues. Somehow, that simplicity scurries when the discussion switches to life insurance. It could be the fear of an insurance salesperson presenting…

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    Q1 2023 Compass Review

    A major crisis. Accommodative monetary policy to save the system.  Lower long-term interest rates. Financial and energy stocks priced for a major recession.  Large cap tech stocks driving the market averages higher.   Was this the summer of 2020 or the first quarter of 2023? After a rotation away from growth at any cost over the…

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    Q4 2022 Compass Review

    The world got a whole lot poorer last year.  There was almost nowhere to hide.  The S&P finished down 20% and the Nasdaq lost 33%.  Even long-term US Government bonds declined 29%.  Cash bought you less food at the grocery store.  This meant the classic 60/40 stock and bond portfolio had one of its worst…

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    Secure Act 2.0

    On December 23rd, 2022 the U.S House of Representatives passed an omnibus spending bill that includes the much-anticipated SECURE Act 2.0. The original SECURE Act passed in December 2019 and brought a wide range of changes, most notably extending the RMD age to 72, and ending the ‘stretch’ IRA. The original SECURE Act is what…

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    Saving for College

    A Guide to Common College Savings Vehicles One of the most challenging discussions we have with young families is helping them think about the intimidating costs of higher education.  Not only is college expensive today, but the cost seems to increase at a higher rate every year. In this piece we compare the most popular…

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    The End of the Free Lunch

    In our last letter we warned that there are major changes happening in the world economy: “The Times Are Changing”.  In this letter we would like to reiterate what we are seeing and lay out how we are adapting to the new realities in greater detail. We are seeing the first significant inflationary pressure in…

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    Compass Turns 25

    In 1997 Bill and Carolyn founded Compass.  After a combined 23 years with major brokerage firms, they wanted something better; better technology, less bureaucracy, lower expenses and most importantly, the ability to focus on clients instead of the firm.    It’s hard to believe it now, but not long before Compass started, major brokerage firms had…

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