How much inflation can the country afford before we’re in trouble. Let’s discuss. First, let’s get on the same page about some basics. If you’ve noticed the price of a thing increasing over time (say, your favorite candy bar or the cost of college tuition), that’s inflation in action. Economists use the broad increase (or decrease) in prices of goods and services across the country as a measure of economic health.

On March 25th, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation in the Senate titled “For the 99.5% Act”, representing the first piece of legislation this year to propose lowering the estate tax exemption along with other key proposals since President Biden took office. On Monday, Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced a bill that would tax gain on capital assets at death and many gifts. While these pieces of legislation are only proposed and would have to follow typical protocols prior to being voted on and enacted, we thought it was important to provide bullet points on the key provisions of the bills as they relate to estate planning.

It’s been about a year since the market bottomed in 2020, and stocks around the world have rebounded strongly from their pandemic lows. What lessons can investors draw from the past year as they look toward what’s ahead through 2021 and beyond?

As of the time I write this article, three Economic Impact Payments (also known as “stimulus checks”) have been issued to eligible recipients as part of the pandemic relief. Each set of payments have had slightly different rules and eligibility, so I have created an outline below to help you navigate how it could impact you.

Imagine being able to create liquidity by tapping into the value of your securities-based investment account without the need to sell a portion of your portfolio. Not only would this allow you to gain liquidity without disrupting your investment strategies, but it could also save you on a tax bill, particularly if it was a short-term capital gain. Imagine being able to get the funds quickly, when you want and for what you want. With a securities-based line of credit, you can have the best of both worlds.

So, the next (final?) round of stimulus was signed into law by President Biden. Let’s dive in. The $1.9 trillion bill called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes stimulus checks, child tax credits, jobless help, vaccine-distribution money, healthcare subsidies, and aid for struggling restaurants. What’s not inside? A higher minimum wage. Here's a quick visual of how it compares to prior rounds of stimulus.