August Market Review
September 4, 2024 August brought a bit of whiplash for investors. Markets fell at the beginning of the month, caught in the ripples of an interest rate increase in Japan disrupting a significant currency trading strategy. This led to a brief, intense global selloff. In the U.S., the incident was aggravated by a weak jobs…
Read MoreThe five most popular methods for funding education
Know which options work best for you and plan early. With the cost of higher education rising, it’s important to determine how you and your family will fund it. There are several options to consider, each with their own pros and cons. How much time you have to save, your access to liquidity and the…
Read MoreJuly Market Review
August 1, 2024 Election news dominated headlines through July and culminated in President Joe Biden declining to seek a second term, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s candidate. The markets don’t particularly like uncertainty, but the turbulence that followed this commotion is not likely to linger as more fundamental market forces…
Read MoreJune Market Review
July 1, 2024 Having hit 31 record highs since January and up more than 15% year to date, the S&P 500 is off to its best start to the year since 2019 and the best start to an election year ever, driven by mega-cap tech stocks and artificial intelligence (AI) tailwinds. NVIDIA’s meteoric gains and…
Read MoreThe pledged-securities mortgage explained
Most buyers in the market for a home can expect to need a 20% downpayment, which represents a significant amount of money in today’s real estate market. But even if they have the funds in their bank or investment accounts, they may not want to use them – and they may not have to if…
Read MoreMay Market Review
June 3, 2024 May was a month of milestones, with all three major U.S. equity indexes hitting new highs – and markets in the U.K., India and Germany also setting records. Stocks were driven up by positive corporate earnings results and greater participation from sectors other than technology – and stocks other than the MAGMAN…
Read MoreApril Market Review
May 1, 2024 In April, the S&P 500 experienced its first 5% pullback since October 2023. This wasn’t surprising since the market had advanced over 25% from then and investors were brimming with optimism about future stock market gains. With bullish sentiment tempered, attention should focus on earnings results to re-assert the market’s upward momentum.…
Read MoreDon’t let estate blunders get in the way of your wishes
ESTATE & GIVING These cautionary tales of estate planning mistakes offer a few important lessons. You’ve worked long and hard to build your estate. Don’t let blunders keep your wishes from being carried out and leave your family – and wealth – in the lurch. Here are a few lessons to keep in mind. No…
Read MoreFebruary Market Review
March 1, 2024 Equity investors didn’t mind the extra day this February as both domestic large-cap stocks and small-to-mid-cap stocks saw steady gains through the month, bringing both groups into positive territory year-to-date, though the latter continues to lag. The growth in large company stocks has been driven primarily by enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI).…
Read MoreJanuary Market Review
February 1, 2024 The report card is in. Despite high interest rates, elevated inflation and a challenging market environment, U.S. gross domestic product grew a strong 3.1% in 2023. And in the month since, consumer spending has continued to be robust, unemployment has remained low and the S&P 500 recorded new highs. Some took this…
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