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Monday, June 5, 2023

Stocks surged higher in the closing days of a holiday-shortened trading week, ignited by a political resolution on raising the debt ceiling and a strong employment report.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.02%, while the Standard...

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Estate management can be a complex and daunting task for many people, but it’s a critical step in helping your assets get managed and distributed according to your wishes.One popular tool that can be used in estate strategies is...

Monday, May 22, 2023

Stocks rallied last week, propelled by growing optimism over reaching a deal on raising the debt ceiling and avoiding a technical debt default by the U.S.The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.38% higher, while the Standard &...

Monday, May 15, 2023

Stocks were mixed last week as good inflation news was offset by mounting debt ceiling concerns and rekindled regional banking fears.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.11%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.29%. The...

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Economies move in cycles – always have, always will. The Federal Reserve has been steadily increasing interest rates in an attempt to slow the rate of inflation. Its efforts are yielding some results, although inflation remains...

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Monday, May 8, 2023

A Friday rebound, triggered by a big tech company’s earnings beat and a strong jobs report, shaved much of the week’s accumulated losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Monday, May 1, 2023

Strong earnings from several mega-cap technology companies offset renewed regional banking jitters and weak economic data, leaving stocks higher for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.86%, while the Standard &...

Monday, April 24, 2023

Stocks remained resilient last week amid mixed earnings reports, hawkish Fed-speak, and lingering recession fears, closing out the five trading days with small losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.23%, while the Standard &...

Monday, April 17, 2023

The combination of an improving inflation outlook resulted in a week of uneven, albeit positive, performance, in which cyclical and financial stocks rallied while technology, real estate, and utilities lagged. The Dow Jones...

Monday, April 10, 2023

Stocks ended a shortened week of trading mixed amid revived recession fears on Wall Street triggered by weak economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.63%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.10%. The Nasdaq...

Monday, April 3, 2023

Stocks rallied last week on receding fears of a widening banking crisis, led by resurging investor interest in technology and communication services names.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.22%, while the Standard & Poor’s...

Monday, March 27, 2023

Modest gains in major market indices masked sharp volatility amid the uncertainty arising from mixed messages emanating from public officials and revived banking fears. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.18%, while the Standard...

Monday, March 20, 2023

Amid the reverberations of two U.S. banks being taken over by regulators and the spread of uncertainty to European banks, stocks trended higher last week on the strength of the technology sector.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was...

Monday, March 13, 2023

Stocks tumbled last week as investors reconsidered their interest rate expectations after Fed Chair Powell’s Congressional testimony that rates may need to go higher. Stocks also were rattled when a west coast bank was placed...

Monday, March 6, 2023

A late-week surge, triggered by reassuring Fed-speak, propelled stocks higher last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.75%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.90%. The Nasdaq Composite index picked up 2.58% for...

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Growing concerns about further interest rate hikes, prompted by fresh economic data, reversed early-week gains and left stocks mixed for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.13%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Monday, February 13, 2023

Would it surprise you that the U.K. stock market is hitting new all-time highs and several other European markets are either at new highs or approaching new all-time highs?It seems like only a few months ago, European economies...

Monday, February 6, 2023

"Is the bear market over?"That's a question I've been asked a number of times in recent weeks. And my answer is the same, "Let's give it a little time."But people are quick to remind me that stocks are off to a good start in 2023,...

Monday, January 30, 2023

Stocks added to their early 2023 gains amid a busy stream of mixed corporate earnings results and conflicting economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.81%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.47%. The Nasdaq...

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Stocks rallied last week thanks to fresh confirmation of inflation’s cooling trend and growing optimism that an inflation slowdown may provide the Fed with space to ease up on future rate hikes.The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

Monday, January 9, 2023

In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement.The law is called SECURE 2.0, and it's a follow-up to...

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Congress spent the final days of 2022 on new reforms designed to help Americans save more for retirement.You may hear the changes called SECURE Act 2.0, which is a follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement...

Monday, December 19, 2022

What does the bond market know that the Fed isn’t telling us?Fed officials recently have said that short-term rates will need to climb to over 5 percent to bring inflation under control. But in the table below, you can see that...

Monday, November 21, 2022

You may have heard the phrase “contrarian investing,” but did you know that one of the most reliable contrary indicators is individual investors?Retail investors often do the wrong thing at the wrong time. But this year,...

Monday, November 14, 2022

October's Consumer Price Index (CPI) had some encouraging news for investors, but others asked, "Is this a game changer or another head fake?"While it's a bit early to know the answer, it was great to see that inflation rose at a...

Monday, November 7, 2022

The financial markets are on edge this year each time Fed Chair Jerome Powell takes the podium following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.The chart below shows that the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index has gained...

Monday, October 31, 2022

The Internal Revenue Service has released new limits for the coming year. After months of high inflation and financial uncertainty, some of these cost-of-living-based adjustments have reached near-record levels.Individual Retirement...

Monday, October 24, 2022

I’ve always been a little cautious when people say, “it’s different this time.” But the table below suggests the Fed is approaching 2022’s inflation differently than other financial events in recent...

Monday, October 17, 2022

Stubborn doesn’t seem like a strong enough word, but that’s how Fed officials are describing inflation.Inflation's “stubbornness” has been on full display in recent weeks: First, the Producer Price Index (PPI)...

Monday, October 10, 2022

Lately, "inflation" seems to be the media's favorite word. Everywhere you turn, there's another story about the impact of inflation. For example, many news outlets have reported that confectionary prices have surged over 30% from last...

Monday, October 3, 2022

Wall Street is always searching for a hero to embrace or a villain to blame. And right now, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is the villain.After the September Fed meeting, Powell said interest rates may be heading higher for longer than...

Monday, September 26, 2022

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month? This event promoted by FEMA guides Americans in ensuring their families and communities are ready in case of natural disasters or other emergencies.But did you also know that the...

Monday, September 19, 2022

Believe me, everyone on Wall Street wants inflation to go away, or at least shrink back to below 2%, a level we enjoyed not so long ago.But Tuesday's Consumer Price Index report showed it might be some time before we see 2% again....

Monday, September 12, 2022

If you’ve felt like stock prices were a little more volatile in 2022 than in recent years, your “spidey senses” are right on the money.The S&P 500 has posted 81 daily moves of at least 1% through August. Of those...

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

The White House recently forgave up to $10,000 to student loan borrowers as part of a larger debt forgiveness program. There are still quite a few questions to be answered, but here are some key points to know.Pell vs. non-Pell: Loan...

Monday, August 29, 2022

We’re entering a tricky time of year: September and October have a reputation for bringing an extra measure of market volatility.Some of the stock market’s most challenging events have hit in September and October, and...

Monday, August 22, 2022

Have you heard? The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on Tuesday, August 16. While the $430 billion package includes many provisions, I thought I’d highlight three key areas where you may benefit the most.Tax credits...

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Have you ever heard the expression, "What's the smart money doing?""Smart money" is an expression that often refers to experts and suggests that well-informed people have a better perspective on current events and what actions to take....

Monday, August 8, 2022

In the financial world, some weeks are more important than others, and we just lived through a big one. Let's unpack each of the four key stats:The Fed. As expected, the Fed bumped up short-term rates again at its July meeting. But the...

Monday, July 11, 2022

With half the year behind us, now is a great time to consider what the remainder of 2022 may hold. However, with inflation and economic uncertainty causing many of us to delay or cancel vacations, large purchases, and more, it can be...

Monday, July 11, 2022

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure...