Ashby W. Price, CFA, AIF, CRPS

🚀 Bitcoin's Journey & the Advent of Bitcoin ETFs: A New Chapter 📈

🌐 Brief History of Bitcoin:
- 2009: The Bitcoin journey begins, introducing the world to blockchain technology.
- Rapid Growth: Over the years, Bitcoin evolves from a digital curiosity to a significant financial asset.
- Market Fluctuations: Known for its volatility, it's both intrigued and challenged investors.

🔥 Latest Development: SEC Approves 11 Bitcoin ETFs:
- A Milestone: Reflecting Bitcoin's maturation and potential mainstream acceptance.
- Similar to GLD: Echoes the transformative impact of gold ETFs, offering direct Bitcoin exposure. 🌟
- Investing Simplified: A big step for those seeking crypto exposure without technical complexities. 🛠️
- Market Impact: Likely to boost demand and pricing but watch for higher volatility than traditional assets. ⚠️
- Custody: Managed akin to how gold ETFs handle physical assets. 🔒

🔮 This marks a pivotal moment in blending cryptocurrency with traditional investing.

🤝 Keen to explore how this shapes our investment strategies!

🌐💡📊

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🚗💰 IRS Updates Mileage Rates for 2024 💰🚗

👉 Due to recent fuel price increases, the IRS has made changes to the standard mileage rates for 2024. Here's what you need to know:

📈 Business use of auto: The rate is now 67 cents per mile (up from 65.5 cents in 2023). This applies to deductions for business purposes. Employers can also reimburse employees using this rate for business travel expenses.

🌟 Charitable use of auto: No change here, it remains at 14 cents per mile. You can deduct this when using your car for charitable activities if you itemize deductions.

💊 Medical use of auto: It's now 21 cents per mile (down from 22 cents in 2023) for medical-related trips. Remember, you can only deduct the portion of your medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

🚚 Moving expense use of auto: Similar to medical, it's also 21 cents per mile (down from 22 cents). This applies to members of the Armed Forces on active duty for permanent station changes.

These updates affect how you calculate deductions for vehicle expenses in various situations. Stay informed and plan accordingly! 💼💡

Ever wondered how stock market indexes like the S&P 500 are calculated? It's all about 'Market Cap Weighting'🧐. Each company's impact on the index is based on its total market value, or 'market cap' 💼📈.

Imagine this: If both Microsoft and Boeing see a similar drop in their stock prices, Microsoft, because of its larger market cap, would have a bigger effect on the S&P 500🌐✈️💻.

Despite the challenges (like a single company potentially dominating the index), this method gives us a big-picture view of the market's performance - something super valuable for us budding investors💡💰.

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Big news everyone! The charts are suggesting a 98% chance that the Fed will pause the interest rate hikes today. This would be a break from 10 previous hikes, leaving us at a rate of 5%-5.25%, a level we haven't seen since 2006.

While this could offer some relief, let's not forget that the earlier hikes have left their mark. And, with inflation still at 4%, we might be looking at another hike this summer.

What impact do you think this will have on business growth? Let's get a conversation started in the comments below!

Global inflation is expected to decelerate this year and into 2024. The inflation rate this year is projected to be 3.5% in the United States of America USA and 2.2% in China. Japan stands out. With strict price controls, negative interest rates, and an aging population, the country is expected to see an inflation rate of 1.4% in 2023.

Have you considered funding a 529 College Savings Plan to help offset the rising cost of college??
Over the past 20 years, the average price for tuition, fees, & room and board has increased 46% at public colleges and 30% at private colleges OVER AND ABOVE increases in the Consumer Price Index? Wow.

“To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” -Douglas Conant, former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company

How are you winning over your employees? Do you offer competitive benefits to help attract and retain talent? What benefits strategies are working for other businesses and nonprofits?

Join our panel of experts on August 24th to learn How to Attract and Retain Top Talent in a Competitive Labor Market. Registration:

https://lnkd.in/eygaVBgA

I look forward to serving as a panelist with Kassi O'Brien and Alex Grymes from Scott Insurance, Megan Mccoy from Paycor, and other industry experts.

Do you deduct mileage for your business? Did you know that the standard mileage rate rate increased to $0.625/mile (from $0.585) on July 1st? Medical use and moving expense rates were also boosted to $0.22 (from $0.18) until year-end.
The IRS updates the standard mileage rates once a year and id-year increases are rare — the last mid-year increase was in 2011.

Are we near a market bottom? Possibly, but timing the market is nearly impossible. The chart below shows peak-to-trough declines of the during certain recessions. The S&P500 index is down about 20% in 2022.

The S&P 500 has seen one of its worst starts to the year in the post-WWII period. However, history suggests that markets tend to recover given supportive fundamentals. Non-recessionary calendar years with 13%+ drawdowns have seen an average annual return of 2%. In fact, 7 of 15 years saw a positive annual return and in 14 of those 15 episodes, the S&P 500 outperformed 2022's YTD returns. As such, we believe there is meaningful upside for the S&P 500.