With another election cycle upon us, it is a good time to reiterate the importance of staying in the market, regardless of who is in the White House. While it is natural to feel some stress about how your investments will be affected by elections, history tells us they have little to no effect on stock market outcomes.

In January, the S&P 500 (market) established a new all-time high, which has since been beaten several times. During March alone the S&P 500 would mark eight new historic highs. January’s initial closing high would come two years after the previous high back in January 2022. We are in the midst of a new bull market. Declaring when the bull market initially begins can be debatable, but a new all-time high settles the debate. Investors waiting on the sidelines for signs to buy have missed a market rise of 45% as of the market close April 5th.

Many have noticed that every year, we at Curran Investment Management (CIM) send Annual GIPS composite reports. For you, as our client or prospective investor, it may strike you as some sort of regulatory requirement and you may pay little attention to it. However, it may interest you to know that GIPS is voluntary, and many financial advisors and investment managers do not comply with GIPS.

We are committed to managing the financial affairs of our clients expertly and confidentially, and as such, on an annual basis we provide, or offer to provide, certain information to you about CIM, LLC (d/b/a Curran Wealth Management and d/b/a Curran Investment Management).

Each quarter, Broadridge Lipper releases its “Best Money Managers” ranking, a comprehensive survey of institutional money managers. While Curran Wealth Management received Top 20 awards in 9 different categories for the awards quarter ending 12/31/2023, we want to highlight 2 awards in particular.

There's still time to contribute to your traditional IRA, Roth IRA or SEP IRA until the tax filing deadline of April 15th. To access your tax documents please login to Fidelity.com, click on Documents and then select Tax Forms and your tax documents will be listed under your account. If you have another custodian, please login to your account to access your tax documents. Below are some quick notes to keep in mind regarding retirement contributions and QCDs.‍

Thomas Curran, founder of Curran Wealth Management, announces the launch of the "Investing Ahead Podcast," a platform dedicated to empowering listeners with financial insights and strategies for achieving long-term security. Inspired by his Amazon bestselling book, "Investing Ahead: Eight Essentials for Achieving Financial Security," Curran aims to distill over 50 years of expertise into accessible advice for a broader audience.

Each quarter, Zephyr releases its “PSN Top Guns” ranking, an important reference for plan sponsors, investors, and asset managers, showcasing the best performing separate accounts, managed accounts, and managed ETF strategies. While Curran Wealth Management received awards in 7 different categories for the awards quarter ending 12/31/2023, we want to highlight 3 awards in particular.

I read with interest a story in the Financial Times on January 23, 2024.Japan is the first of the big, advanced economies to have experienced labor shortages, but they are clearly not the only one. Their problems date to 1997. Interestingly, the United States labor participation rate peaked a year later in 1998.The problem is not a new one. It has been developing for about 25 years in both countries (along with the UK, Italy, Germany, and many others).

Much time, effort and money are expended every year producing and analyzing economic and market forecasts. One wonders why so many analyze the reports, pouring over them every December, considering their track record for veracity. Before we render a verdict on the three previous forecasts, let us consider two quotes, one by the famed economist and ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith and the other by investor Warren Buffet.

In markets, 2023 has been the year of the magnificent seven, a group of tech stocks that has dominated US and global markets, attributing much of the S&P 500 total return for the year. The group of seven consists of Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla and perhaps 2022’s most hated stock Meta. For a brief time at the start of the year the consensus call had been for recession and another down year for stocks. It quickly faded, and a major rally would start in mega cap (large companies) technology shares.

Each quarter, Broadridge Lipper releases its “Best Money Managers” ranking, a comprehensive survey of institutional money managers. While Curran Wealth Management received awards in 8 different categories for the awards quarter ending 9/30/2023, we want to highlight 4 awards in particular.

November 29, 2023, Albany, NY – Curran Wealth Management, a leading financial advisory firm headquartered in Albany, NY, today announced the opening of a new office at 21 Corporate Drive in Clifton Park, NY, further solidifying its commitment to serving clients in the Saratoga County region. With a steadfast focus on long-term investing and client success, the company's expansion marks an exciting milestone in their journey to support and grow their clientele base.

We sadly learned the news that Charlie Munger, investment lion, passed away November 28th at the age of 99. Munger was about a month shy of his 100th birthday (January 1st). He was not as widely known as some of the bigger names in the industry (Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Carl Icahn, George Soros), and many of those who were aware of him thought he was merely Warren Buffett’s sidekick or lieutenant. Charlie’s role and influence was vastly greater. In many ways Warren Buffett owes his investment philosophy to the lesser-known man.

Each quarter, Zephyr releases its “PSN Top Guns” ranking, an important reference for plan sponsors, investors, and asset managers, showcasing the best performing separate accounts, managed accounts, and managed ETF strategies. While Curran Wealth Management received awards in 9 different categories for the awards quarter ending 9/30/2023, we want to highlight 3 awards in particular.

The amount of money a retiree can withdraw from their retirement accounts is widely debated in the financial services community. I suspect it leads to confusion among retirees. The question asked is: How much can I withdrawal on a regular basis and not run out of money?

Owning an account with another individual is a common occurrence. Even so, there is often little consideration given to the question of what type of joint account ownership is best for a particular situation. The implications can be far-reaching and may include elements such as determining control of the assets, potential tax ramifications, subjectivity to creditors’ claims, and the allocation of assets upon the death of an owner. There are many factors to consider when determining which joint account type is appropriate for your unique personal circumstances.

Each quarter, Broadridge Lipper releases its “Best Money Managers” ranking, a comprehensive survey of institutional money managers. While Curran Wealth Management received awards in 10 different categories for the awards quarter ending 6/30/2023, we want to highlight 4 awards in particular.

Each quarter, Zephyr releases its “PSN Top Guns” ranking, an important reference for plan sponsors, investors, and asset managers, showcasing the best performing separate accounts, managed accounts, and managed ETF strategies. While Curran Wealth Management received awards in 9 different categories for the awards quarter ending 6/30/2023, we want to highlight 2 awards in particular.

It’s astonishing to us that more than 10,000 people in the U.S. turn 65 every day, and that number will peak at about 12,000 in the summer of 2024. As we reflect on this fact and think about the future, we can see how this demographic bubble will affect everything from healthcare to the composition of the workforce to the future of Social Security and Medicare. We want to share with you a few thoughts from the recent Investor’s Business Daily article “Baby Boomers Are Hitting Peak 65. What It Means for Retirement Planning.”

Many have noticed that every year, we at Curran Investment Management (CIM) send Annual GIPS composite reports. For you, as our client or prospective investor it may strike you as some sort of regulatory requirement and you may pay little attention to it. However, it may interest you to know that GIPS is voluntary, and many managers do not comply with GIPS.

Not all advisors in the financial services industry act as fiduciary working with their clients. At Curran Wealth Management we are a fiduciary and in our role as RIA (registered investment advisor) always act in such a capacity. So, what exactly is a fiduciary?

Each quarter, Broadridge Lipper releases its “Best Money Managers” ranking, a comprehensive survey of institutional money managers. While Curran Wealth Management received awards in 10 different categories for the awards quarter ending 3/31/2023, we want to highlight 4 awards in particular.

As many of you know, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have been closed by bank regulators.

There's still time to contribute to your traditional IRA, Roth IRA or SEP IRA until the tax filing deadline of April 18th.

Retirement can often feel like a reward at the end of the finish line. You’ve worked hard for years, saved diligently and now you’re ready to relax, travel or take up some new hobbies. If you have a significant other, it’s important to approach this life transition as a partnership through open communication and honest dialogue.

Fidelity Investments has invited Curran to participate in its Fully Paid Lending Program, Fidelity’s branded securities lending service.

The market is up in January and that is a positive sign. A market decline in January can bode poorly for market returns over the remainder of the year.

It is no surprise that inflation has affected everyone over the past couple of years. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a spike in unemployment rates and business closings while introducing a new way of living in the digital age.

In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement.

Happy New Year! January happens to be Financial Wellness Month, the perfect time for resolutions geared toward meeting your financial goals!

Given that it is late in the year and we are currently in a bear market, we can find some solace in actively looking for opportunities to tax loss harvest (TLH).

The current bear market is the 27th since 1928. It began on 1/3/22 and, as of December 8th, is the 15th longest bear market in history. It was confirmed as a bear market on 6/13/22 when the S&P 500 closed more than 20% below its 1/3/2022 established previous high of 4796.56.

At Curran we operate under 3 primary pillars: Wealth management, investment management and comprehensive tax services. However, did you know we also have an investment committee?

It is with extreme gratitude that I announce my book, "Investing Ahead", has been ranked #1 on Amazon's Best Seller list for Financial Risk Management and Investing Portfolio Management.

As we close out the year, this is a time that many are thinking about charitable giving. This year we have spent some time talking with many of you about beneficial ways to give to charity.

We are pleased to welcome Amy Messier to our team. Amy previously worked for Walthausen & Company, a Small Cap money manager, based in Malta, NY.

Last week the IRS announced its annual inflation adjustments for various tax provisions in the tax year 2023. Below are some of the items we believe would be of interest to many.

Now two weeks into the year’s 4th quarter, I have identified a couple of reasons for the current market conditions. It really boils down to two fundamental issues.

As we approach year end, this is a friendly reminder to our clients that the Curran Wealth Management Team is here to assist with any questions regarding your account(s).

Before discussing the current state of the US economy, I want to begin with the humorous quote from economist James Kenneth Galbraith, poking fun at the value of forecasts.

To summarize, we have identified four leaks in our piggy bank thus far: Not investing sufficiently in growth and investing too much in fixed income. Not earning what we expect.

We are pleased to announce we have been awarded the PSN Top Guns distinction for our Curran Midcap Equity strategy by Informa Financial Intelligence’s PSN manager database, North America’s longest running database of investment managers, period ending June 30, 2022.

Our warmest congratulations to Emily Bornhorst, who recently earned the Certified Financial PlannerTM certification this week!

Recently I saw an investment chart in Bloomberg laying out an illustration, where an investor added money to the stock market only two weeks following Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. The market and the entire economy were on the precipice.

Over the past few weeks we've explored two leaks in our piggy banks. Today we discuss the third leak: Inflation.

Broadridge Lipper has finally announced their rankings for Top 20 Money Managers for Q1 2022 and our Curran Core Growth Equity Strategy was listed #4 total return in the U.S Large Cap Growth and Value Equity category.

Let’s put this bear market in perspective. On June 13, 2022, the bear market that began on January 3, 2022 was confirmed by the S&P 500.

Last week we asked: Is there a leak in your piggy bank? We discussed returns and risks. Not surprisingly stocks supplied higher returns than bonds. The differences were astonishingly higher for stocks over the past 10, 20 and 30 years.

Let’s first ask this question: If in June 2012 you invested $500,000 [measured by the S&P 500] in your retirement account, how much might it be worth today?

Sometimes we take our industry knowledge for granted and we want to share these advantages with our clients. Some of the SMA advantages are the following...

We are pleased to announce we have been awarded PSN Top Guns distinctions for our Curran Core Growth Equity strategy by Informa Financial Intelligence’s PSN manager database, North America’s longest running database of investment managers, period ending March 31, 2022.

Here are some reasons why tax review is important and what we are looking at when we review them.

During these last few days, weeks, perhaps even months of higher volatility than we're accustomed to, I know that you're concerned. You should know I'm concerned even if we don't show it here all the time, what we're seeing in the market certainly gets our attention.

In an effort to increase our cyber security, Panorama will have a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) upon logging into your account effective tomorrow April 30th.

I am considering starting an investment forum about inflation. I am concerned because I do not believe inflation is going away soon. History tells us inflation is a long wave cycle that will take many years to be controlled. My sense is most people believe it is simply another challenge facing us that will not be impacting our long-term lives and our investments. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When I graduated from Wharton, my first job was Assistant Town Manager in a Connecticut suburb. Before I reported for work, the Town Manager called to tell me there had been an election and the “other” party won. He explained he was sure he would be replaced but he was not sure about me.

Well, 50 years ago, when I was in training to become a financial advisor, a friend told me the only thing that matters when it comes to making money was: How much do you keep?

Inflation: you must think about it. More importantly you must act to minimize its impact on your life. Let us suppose 10 years ago you received a windfall of $1,000,000.

Many have noticed that every year, we at Curran Investment Management (CIM) send Annual GIPS composite reports accompanied with an independent verifier’s verification report. For you, as our client or prospective investor it may strike you as some sort of regulatory requirement and you may pay little attention to it.

Do not look now but the flight to US Treasuries trade, which we had become conditioned to expect during market selloffs, no longer appears to be working, and interest rates no longer are trending lower.

We are so excited to announce Panorama is now available as an app! Within this blog post you'll find 3 instructional videos on how to download and use the Panorama Portal app.

I want all of you to know we are keeping up with all the latest news about Ukraine and how it is affecting the global economy and the markets.

Broadridge Lipper just announced their rankings for Top 20 Money Managers for Q4 2021 and our Curran Core Growth Equity Strategy was listed #1 total return in a 5-year period in the U.S Large Cap Growth Equity category.

As I have said many times in the past, inflation is a long cycle and not a short cycle phenomenon. So is disinflation. The disinflation cycle that ended last year began around 1981. It lasted about 40 years.

If you were to have asked me years ago if I were ever interested in opening a Twitter, I would have said no. However, times have changed and I've decided to go along for the ride.

We are pleased to announce we have been awarded PSN Top Guns distinctions for our Curran Core Growth Equity strategy by Informa Financial Intelligence’s PSN manager database, North America’s longest running database of investment managers, period ending December 31, 2021.

We’ve all heard the phrase “the grass is always greener on the other side.” I disagree. It’s green where you water it. Let’s use growing a garden as an example.

We are pleased to announce Kevin Curran’s promotion to Co-CEO. In his new role, Kevin will assist Tom in managing the day-to-day operations and guiding the firm’s growth and direction.

Clearly all equity markets are entering a period of correction or near correction. A correction is defined as a closing low equal to a decline greater than 10% below previous high.

I'm sure you've heard this question before, and if you haven't heard it from your financial advisor, you may have a problem. Many use this question in terms of what someone wants in life, their reason for being, and indeed, their purpose.

We'd like to remind you about the changes to IRAs within the SECURE Act also known as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019.

Curran has made the commitment to study, evaluate and manage sustainable equities, aligning our investor’s investments with their values. There is increasing demand from clients to assure that their equity investments reflect their values.

As we close out the year, this is a time that many are thinking about charitable giving. This year we have spent some time talking with many of you about beneficial ways to give to charity.

"How many millionaires do you know who have become wealthy by investing in savings accounts? I rest my case," Robert G. Allen. As you all know I am deeply committed to investing for the long term. Yes, it would be wonderful to be able to sell at market highs and to buy at market lows. But that is not possible and has never been proven to be viable.

Curran Investment Management (CIM) has been awarded a PSN Top Guns distinction for their Curran Core Growth Equity strategy by Informa Financial Intelligence’s PSN manager database, North America’s longest running database of investment managers for the period ending September 30th, 2021.

Our Curran Core Growth Equity Strategy received numerous rankings Q3 2021 by Broadridge Lipper for Top 20 Money Managers listed under the U.S Large Cap Growth & Value Equity category and the U.S Growth and Value Equity category.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting people working who are 75 and older will increase by 96.5% by 2030.

Sustainable investing is an area of growing interest among socially conscious investors. Unfortunately like with many financial matters, Wall Street has delivered glib, feel-good marketing along with higher fees under the guise of doing well.

Do you need an investment advisor? Maybe one of the reasons you picked up this book is that you’re not sure about the answer to that question. Obviously, you know what I would say, but what about you? In most cases, I believe your answer should be yes.

For the next few weeks, Andrew Minnick will be away from the office as he and his wife, Lindsey, welcome the birth of their son, Connor Adrian, born October 11, 2021. We wish health and happiness for Andrew and his family as it expands!

This week Founder, Thomas Curran discusses his views of the current market relative to inflation trends. If you found this video informative, click the like button and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more market updates throughout the coming months.

In paraphrasing the protest song War, I am not suggesting that cryptocurrency is good for absolutely nothing. However, it’s a good question deserving a thoughtful answer and the subject in general certainly deserves more scrutiny and consideration than given by the media and the financial industry.

How we are spending in the pandemic is different. I was surprised by the amounts in almost all areas.

Normally when inflation rises interest rates rise. So far, the current pandemic related inflation surge has not impacted interest rates. The current inflation rate is high and still interest rates are near historic lows. Why?

We are pleased to announce, our Curran Core Growth Equity Strategy received numerous rankings Q2 2021 by Broadridge Lipper for Top 20 Money Managers listed under the U.S Large Cap Growth & Value Equity category and the U.S Growth and Value Equity category.

Curran Investment Management (CIM) has been awarded a PSN Top Guns distinction for their Curran Core Growth Equity strategy by Informa Financial Intelligence’s PSN manager database, North America’s longest running database of investment managers for the period ending June 30th, 2021.

Last winter we experienced the shortest bear market in US history. It lasted only 33 days. The S&P 500 peaked February 19th and bottomed the following month, March 23rd. The market fell 34% from its February high to its March low.

Expectations about what it takes to accumulate sufficient assets to last through retirement need to be communicated clearly. I believe our clients understand the tradeoffs between returns and risk but sadly, I am not sure the average investor understands.