June 2025

By Diana Olick on CNBC.com

Published Tue, Jun 17 2025 10:00 AM EDT Updated Tue, Jun 17 2025 11:16 AM EDT

Higher mortgage rates and uncertainty in the broader economy continue to weigh on consumers — and consequently on the nation’s homebuilders.

Builder sentiment in June dropped 2 points from May to 32 on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Anything below 50 is considered negative. The index stood at 43 in June 2024.

May 2025

A critical aspect of retirement planning is understanding the rules and requirements surrounding Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from retirement savings accounts. An RMD is a mandatory minimum amount that retirement account owners must withdraw from their accounts annually.

This article overviews RMD requirements and how to circumvent IRS penalties.

April 2025

At Vantage Financial, it is important that you are well-informed about what is happening in the markets. Here are a few of the key topics of conversation that deserve the most attention this month. If you have any questions or would like to continue the conversation, please reach out.

April has delivered historic market volatility as a series of unpredictable but significant trade proposals triggered a dramatic selloff in global markets across nearly all asset classes.  The S&P 500 was already nearing correction territory on the back of softening economic data before the April 2 ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were revealed at levels substantially higher than expected.  After several days of intense panic selling, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs, resulting in the largest one-day jump in market indices since the 2008 financial crisis.  Unfortunately, the celebration did not last as concerns regarding the ongoing policy uncertainty remain.  Behind the scenes, Treasury yields swung wildly, the dollar tumbled, and assets like oil, gold, and Bitcoin reacted to the chaos.  All in all, it was a historic whiplash across financial markets.

March 2025

The Social Security Fairness Act is a bill signed into law that repeals several decades-old provisions that previously reduced your Social Security benefits if you or a spouse received a pension from a non-Social Security covered job, and now restores these benefits, allowing you to receive the full Social Security retirement benefits earned based on individual work histories. In this article, we will discuss Social Security and how the changes may impact you and your financial outlook and ensure your strategies align with your financial goals.