Thursday, June 17, 2021
Now and again, the price action on Wall Street can surprise even the most seasoned investors.Look no further than when President Biden in late April proposed an increase in the tax on capital gains to 39.6% from 20% for those...
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Thursday, June 10, 2021
A recent survey shows that 63% of investors are more interested in protecting their financial assets and planning for uncertainty in the future than anything else.1There are many reasons for this change, but here are a few of the most...
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Thursday, June 3, 2021
What does it mean when two of the most powerful voices in American financial life seem to be saying two different things?In one corner, we have the “Oracle of Omaha,” investor Warren Buffett. As one of the nation’s...
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Thursday, May 27, 2021
A cyberattack shut down a major gas and energy pipeline supplying the East Coast of the United States for several days. The actual pipelines themselves are still functional and have since started running again, but it’s led to...
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
Will your retirement dreams match your reality?That's perhaps the most critical question to ask people who are currently retired. Was your retirement what you expected, or was it something else?For more than 30 years, the Employee...
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Thursday, May 13, 2021
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have been the recipient of the latest buzz. NFTs are digital files attached to blockchain codes. If you know anything about digital currencies, you’re probably aware that these blockchain codes are...
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Thursday, May 6, 2021
Recently, you may have seen reports that a record-low number of homes are available for sale—roughly 1.03 million nationwide. If you compare that to the average number of homes for sale during the past 10 years, it's no surprise...
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Thursday, April 29, 2021
Now and again, the price action on Wall Street can surprise even the most seasoned investors.Look no further than when President Biden in late April proposed an increase in the tax on capital gains to 39.6% from 20% for those...
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Thursday, April 22, 2021
Investors looking for "green shoots" to confirm that the economy is on the mend have seen plenty of examples in recent weeks. Retail sales rose 9.8% in March, the largest monthly gain since May 2020. It's important to remember that...
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Thursday, April 15, 2021
Inflation has emerged as one of the top financial concerns for investors as they size up the economy for the rest of the year. According to research by Deutsche Bank, Google searches for “inflation” are rising rapidly and...
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
There’s an old Wall Street maxim that says, “markets climb a wall of worry.” And these days, there’s plenty to worry about with the trend in long-term interest rates.The 10-year Treasury yield in recent weeks...
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Thursday, April 1, 2021
Among the many changes arising from the pandemic, one of the most noticeable was a change in American spending habits.A survey released in March 2021 by Pew Research shows that Americans have increasingly chosen to put away what extra...
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Thursday, March 25, 2021
Major League Baseball scheduled Opening Day for April 1, but two states have already scored with spring training underway.Every year, spring training divides the 30 MLB teams into two squads. Half of the teams travel to Florida as...
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Thursday, March 18, 2021
Most people understand that stock prices don't go straight up. But when market volatility increases, the price action can test the mettle of even the most seasoned investor. In recent weeks, stock prices have trended lower with a few...
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Thursday, March 11, 2021
One time-tested principle of investing is, "when bond yields move higher, bond prices tend to move lower." Investors are doing a "double take" on the 10-year Treasury yield, which recently topped 1.5% — its highest level in...
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Thursday, March 4, 2021
The acronym “SPAC” is showing up more often these days because there is some big money behind the revitalized investment approach. SPAC stands for Special Purpose Acquisition Company, and they are sometimes referred to as...
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At this time last year, it was still unknown that a deadly global pandemic was on the rise, eventually stalling economic growth and sending crude oil prices into negative territory. But recently, oil prices have surged, with crude...
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
It can be easy to overlook the nation’s solid economic fundamentals when the financial media splashes stories every day about an army of amateur traders, short-selling mania, and initial public offerings (IPOs) that double in...
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Thursday, February 11, 2021
What's your "go-to" source for financial information? "Family and friends" is the #1 answer given in the annual Retirement Confidence Survey. But a close second is search engines and other online tools, including online forums like...
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Thursday, February 4, 2021
The 10-year Treasury yield has climbed higher since the New Year, which means that some bond prices are dropping. You may have seen the headlines that say, “10-Year Yields Over 1%.” For some, the first time they experience...
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Thursday, January 28, 2021
Your investment strategy is a lot like a marriage. One day you may feel like everything’s going swimmingly. The next day, there might be an argument over who forgot to load the dishwasher. And even the best marriages and...
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Thursday, January 21, 2021
The personal savings rate in the United States, which is the amount of income left after taxes and household spending, has reached some significant milestones. In April, when much of the country stayed home to avoid the COVID-19...
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Thursday, January 14, 2021
The first week of 2021 has already had many ups and downs. Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean that the 2020 issues go away, and so far, 2021 has been no exception to this rule. The markets opened on January 4 and...
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Thursday, January 7, 2021
Things you can do for your future as the year unfolds. What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for the coming year? Now is an excellent time to think about the investing, saving, or budgeting methods you...
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Thursday, December 31, 2020
Undeniably, spring 2020 has tried the patience of investors. An 11-year bull market ended. Key economic indicators went haywire. Household confidence was shaken. The Standard & Poor’s 500, the benchmark for the broad stock...
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Friday, December 18, 2020
As you get to the end of your year there are lots of last-minute things you need to work on when it comes to the goals you wanted to accomplish in 2020. Here are some parts of your financial life to think about before we start 2021....
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Friday, December 4, 2020
As an investor, it can be tempting to get caught up in daily news headlines. For example, wanting to sell all your investments and put them into cash when you are worried about the election outcome. Consider how news about the...
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Friday, November 27, 2020
With the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates at or near zero, you may wonder about your mortgage. Is it a good time to refinance or even pay off the debt entirely? After all, your mortgage is one of the biggest expenses you may...
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Friday, November 20, 2020
As the United States sees a rise in cases of COVID-19 across the nation, news of two promising vaccines out of hundreds being tested has offered a ray of hope for a fatigued world.1 A positive reaction to these vaccines affects every...
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Friday, November 13, 2020
Here are some things you might consider before saying goodbye to 2020 What has changed for you in 2020? For many, this year has been as complicated as learning a new dance. Did you start a new job or leave a job behind? That's one step...
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Friday, November 6, 2020
On October 26, the Treasury Department released the 2021 adjusted figures for retirement account savings. Although these adjustments won’t bring any major changes, there are some minor elements to note. 401(k)sThe salary...
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Friday, October 30, 2020
The upcoming election is prompting some people to reconsider their investment strategy.In fact, 45% of consumers with $100,000 or more investable assets expect to make changes to their portfolio due to the upcoming 2020 presidential...
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Friday, October 16, 2020
When training to become a financial professional, much of our course work centers on the six critical areas of creating a financial strategy. Some recognize October as Financial Planning Month, so it's an excellent opportunity to...
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Friday, October 9, 2020
Medicare’s open enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7. If you are enrolling in Medicare for the first time, give yourself plenty of time. You may discover that it is much more complex than an employer-sponsored...
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