Precious metals and rare gems continue to increase in value, making an investment in fine jewelry enticing for some.

Following are a few reasons jewelry can be a wise investment:

• Jewelry is portable. You need nothing more than a safety deposit box to secure its value.
• Jewelry is tangible. Unlike stocks, bonds, and other market investments, you can hold value in your hand. For some people, this security makes the risk of investment worthwhile.
• Fine jewelry can retain its value. Based on recent trends, the price of precious metals and gems is likely to continue its uphill climb; as a result, the price of fine jewelry will also increase.

If you have a friend or family member whose lifetime earnings were lower than their ex’s lifetime earnings, there are options to claim some of the ex’s Social Security Benefits in retirement.

They must:

• Be at least 62 years old
• Be currently unmarried
• Have been married to that ex-spouse for at least 10 years

Even if their ex has not filed for Social Security benefits, they can still claim them.

If you know someone who might benefit from reviewing whether they can increase their Social Security benefits please have them contact our office. We are happy to help.

A declaration that the Standard & Poor 500 Composite Index (S&P 500) is not a collection of the 500 largest companies in America might just destroy one of the most common misconceptions about the world of Wall Street. For an economy that hangs its hat on the S&P 500 as a benchmark for $2.2 trillion in index assets alone1, the workings of the S&P 500 bear a three-minute refresher2.