A year ago yesterday, on March 11, 2020, the WHO officially declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. Later that night, the NBA pulled the plug on two scheduled games (including the Pelicans/Kings game here in Sacramento), and then immediately suspended its season after Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell both tested positive for the disease:
The battle against coronavirus has unquestionably been a difficult, painful, arduous, and seemingly constant one over the past 12 months, with the underlying question constantly on everyone's mind: "When will we reopen and get back to normal?" And while we are by no means at the finish line yet, at Towerpoint Wealth we believe we are much closer to the end of the pandemic than we are to the beginning of it.
Why the hope? We will let the visuals support a number of key reasons for our optimism:
Huge declines in COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations
Widespread vaccine distribution
Extreme fiscal stimulus
Measured re-opening of the economy
Pending herd immunity
At Towerpoint Wealth, we believe it is also time to look forward, without letting our guard down, with expanding optimism and appreciation for what the future holds. Understanding we will always remain pragmatic, and avoid cockeyed optimism, we do believe that the marathon is almost at its conclusion.
What’s Happening at TPW?
Our lovely Director of Operations, Lori Heppner, along with her Bella. 🙂
Our Partner, Wealth Advisor, Jonathan LaTurner, spent a few days last month in Tulum, Mexico, doing some wedding venue due diligence with his bride-to-be, Katie McDonald. Yes, we're all very jealous of you two, walking Tulum Beach and both looking great!
TPW Service Highlight – Charitable Giving
It used to be (and still can be) as simple as writing a check and mailing it off to your favorite charity. However, simply giving cash may not be the best, nor the most beneficial or impactful, way to be philanthropic. Fortunately, today's donors have a myriad of gifting strategies that can increase the economic benefits of their gifts, both for the charity, as well as for you.
From charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and private foundations, to donor advised and pooled income funds, and from IRA qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) to charitable gift annuities, there are many options for those who are inclined towards philanthropy. Determining which charitable strategy is best for your personal circumstances can be challenging, and as experts in this field, we stand ready to help you better understand the advantages and disadvantages of each as we develop the most appropriate gifting strategy for you. Click HERE to talk more with us about your philanthropic intent and charitable gifting plan.
Issuance of Amended 2020 Form 1099s - Don't File Too Early!
Have you received your 2020 Form 1099s in the mail or via email? Have you already received amendments to your original 1099s? Scroll down to read a newly-published report authored by our Director of Tax and Financial Planning, Steve Pitchford, to find out why we recommend NOT actually filing your tax return until early April!
Chart of the Week
It's not unusual to see -2%, -5%, and even -10% pullbacks in the stock market. Frankly, we should *expect* them to happen, remain objective and not worry about them when they do, and have a plan and the flexibility to make tactical portfolio adjustments to take advantage of them when they occur.
Trending Today
In addition to shots and stocks, a number of trending and notable events have occurred over the past few weeks:
- The $1,900,000,000,000 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law yesterday by President Biden
- President Biden also delivered his first prime-time Presidential speech last night, focusing on COVID-19
- The Duke Blue Devils withdrew from the ACC men's basketball tournament after a member of the program tested positive COVID-19
- Oprah Winfrey's prime-time interview of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, averages 17.81 million viewers, the second-largest audience for an entertainment program since the 2020 Oscar broadcast
- QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys, FINALLY reach a four-year, $160 million contract deal, with $126 million guaranteed
- With the theme of #ChooseToChallenge, International Women's Day was celebrated on March 8
- California gives OK for Disneyland and other theme parks to reopen April 1st
As always, we sincerely value our relationships and partnerships with you, as well as your trust and confidence in us here at Towerpoint Wealth. We encourage you to reach out to us at any time (916-405-9140, info@towerpointwealth.com) with any questions, concerns, or needs you may have. The world continues to be an extremely complicated place, and we are here to help you properly plan for and make sense of it.
- Joseph, Jonathan, Steve, Lori, Nathan, Matt, and Michelle
