April marks the start of Financial Literacy Month, a nationally recognized movement to promote and support financial understanding in children and teens. For many, it's a fantastic opportunity to teach and connect with their children or grandchildren...
[+] Full Article 2023 Changes to Iowa's Retirement Taxes - 03/01/23
In March of 2022 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a historic Iowa tax reform bill. One of the biggest changes from the bill is that starting in 2023, Iowans aged 55 or older are exempt from paying state taxes on retirement income...
[+] Full Article
Investing Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
October 1, 2022
Many consumers automatically synonymize the words investing or investment with the word risk. Halloween is just around the corner, but investing doesn’t have to be scary. With headlines all around about this year’s market volatility, rising interest rates, and higher inflation, you may feel like “waiting it out” until economic news begins to show signs of improvement.
At GCSB Investment Center, yes, we have traditional fee-only equity and bond managers and model allocations for your long-term portfolios, but did you know we also offer several low-risk and even 100% principal-protected investment options?
Here are some options you may want to consider, rather than sitting on the sidelines.
- Fixed Annuities
- Fixed Indexed Annuities
- Brokered CD’s
- Market-Linked CD’s
- Market-Linked Notes
- Structured Buffer Notes
- Structured Barrier Notes
- Treasury Bills & Treasury Notes
Many of these can be as short as one to three years or longer, depending on your needs and goals. Some offer a fixed rate during the term of the investment. Others offer participation in the upside of the markets, with full principal-protection in a down market. Some offer FDIC insurance or tax-deferral, while some can also offer a guaranteed stream of income in retirement that you cannot outlive.
Fixed rates and caps on most solutions have significantly increased in 2022. Not every solution or investment is right for every client. Give us a call today to discuss these fixed-rate and fixed-income solutions – and the cost of waiting!