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Welcome To Our Blog
We invite you to check in each month and get to know our business and the people that lead Williams, Steinert, Mask.
September 2016 Marketwatch
U.S. equities notched another month of gains with the S&P 500 Index climbing .42% in August. The index is up 6.66% year to date. The financial markets have remained remarkably strong in a world riddled with terror attacks, a coup attempt in Turkey, police officer...
Pre-Death Planning – A Gift to Your Loved Ones
Death – no one wants to think about it and certainly, no one wants to talk about it; yet, it’s the one inevitable experience all humans have in common, after birth. With the recent passing of two very close clients and the unexpected passing of two family members, I...
August 2016 Marketwatch
U.S. equities notched another month of gains with the S&P 500 Index climbing 3.5%. The primary forces behind the rally remain better-than-expected corporate earnings, stability in the banking sector and a growing sense that, given low Treasury yields, equities appear...
Yikes! I received a letter from the IRS
Each year, the IRS sends out millions of notices to taxpayers. Some are informational only; others require a response. Not every letter means an audit and, in some cases, the notice you received could have been sent in error. In part because of staffing issues, the...
July 2016 Marketwatch
British Shock! (Brexit) Britain shocked the financial community by voting to leave the European Union (EU). Global equity markets plunged but then recovered to pre Brexit levels. The conventional wisdom is that, due to the uncertainty around the eventual exit, what it...
June 2016 Marketwatch
There are many roadblocks keeping stocks from shifting gears. The U.S. stock market has traded sideways since its all-time high, May 21, 2015. While the market indices are within a hairs breath of the record close, there are still headwinds that make it hard for the...
Texas Franchise Tax: Do I Need to File a Return?
Post April 15th one of the most frequent questions I get is, “Aren’t you glad things have slowed down?” While 2016 was WCM’s busiest and most successful tax season in our history, my reply is not what most people expect. We are blessed that in our 63rd year to be...
May 2016 Marketwatch
Friday, April 29th came on the heels of the worst day for stocks since mid-February; U.S. shares were under pressure Friday as investors reacted to a mixed earnings season, the latest moves or lack of moves from the world's central bankers and fresh incoming economic...
Staying on Track: Three Ways to Help You Get Where You Want to Go
By Jeremy Crow, Williams, Steinert, Mask Audit Manager Is your business headed in the right direction? Here are three questions that can help ensure you're on the right path: #1 – Are you measuring and focusing on the right things? Recently my wife and I decided to...
April 2016 Marketwatch
In recent months we have focused our writing on three primary drivers of market volatility. First we discussed how negative rates affect foreign banks. Secondly we discussed how deep and wide the oil slide will affect the world’s economies. Third we discussed the...