Insights

As Americans, we love giving back. In 2017 alone, we shelled out $410.02 billion in charitable donations - accounting for 2.1 percent of the GDP.1 With the 2020 holiday season officially upon us, it’s no surprise that our giving efforts are likely ramping up. And while donating to charities is an integral component of your core values, it can also be an important, strategic play in lowering your tax obligation.

It’s already December, and that means that the holiday season is officially upon us. Right about now we’re usually gearing up to gather with loved ones, shop for gifts and travel to see family - making it a cheerful, but expensive, time of year.

2020 is finally coming to a close, but it’s time to start thinking about the year ahead. For employers and businesses, this means thinking about the future of their company and their employees. This year was anything but ordinary, but when you add an election into the mix, what does this mean for plan sponsors? Here are four things every plan sponsor should be thinking about for 2021.

Are you considering going on a trip over the holidays? Whether you are just visiting relatives for the weekend or enjoying a new location, traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic is nerve-wracking. But if you have decided to travel, there are a few tips to travel safely while still saving money.

In February of this year we argued that there is no compelling reason for the existence of positive real rates on “risk-free” sovereign debt (such as U.S. Treasury Bonds), and by extension for an upward-sloping (or any non-flat) sovereign-debt yield curve. The persistence of these phenomena in the past was really the result of investors demanding a “default premium” (akin to that on corporate debt) as compensation for loss due to wars, coups, and currency collapses.

For large and small businesses alike, it should come as no surprise that more Americans have been shopping online due to the COVID-19 pandemic - and this trend will likely continue until the pandemic subsides. In fact, with Cyber Monday approaching, these numbers are expected to rise. In 2019, Cyber Monday shattered the online sales record with $9.4 billion in revenue - and that was before social distancing.