“Mark your calendar with important market deadlines and closures.

Brighten up your financial plan this summer by assessing your estate plan and expected benefits, and catching up with your financial team.”

Anyone looking to buy or sell a home lately has probably been hit by sticker shock. Residential real estate prices have gone through the roof, increasing at rates unseen since 2005.

The global pandemic has taken a grim toll on lives and livelihoods. Many have been laid off, furloughed, or taken on more debt to tide things over. Many others have had to scale back their lifestyle or help support family or friends affected by the ravages of COVID-19.

As if the pandemic hasn't already affected every other aspect of people's lives, now there's taxes. But in this case, the effect is positive.

The specter of inflation has long been absent from the American economy. In fact, inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), has remained below 4% since 2008, has averaged only 1.74% in the past 10 years, and came in at a tepid 1.36% for 2020.1 Rather than inflation, policy makers in recent years have been more concerned with the prospect of deflation -- a drop in prices -- especially at the outset of the pandemic, when the inflation rate dipped below zero for three consecutive months.

But the tide may be about to shift. With the end of the pandemic in sight, renewed fears of inflation have emerged, as fiscal stimulus kicks in and the economy bounces back.

“Social Security benefits currently represent approximately 33% of the aggregate total income of Americans aged 65 and older, according to the Social Security Administration. For future generations of retirees, Social Security may represent a much smaller percentage of retirement income.”