November Market Review
December 2, 2024 Equity markets experienced a post-election rally with the S&P 500 crossing 6,000 for the first time on November 11 and finishing the month up 5.7%. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each saw four all-time highs in November, driven by the market’s belief that the incoming administration’s economic agenda…
Read MoreTrim your future tax bill by thinking ahead
The tax code can be a labyrinth to navigate. Nevertheless, taking action now – while you, your financial advisor and accountant have time to think through the possibilities and maximize your 2024 tax savings – could be more than worth the effort. Consider adding one or more of these four tax-mitigating moves to your capital gain/loss…
Read MoreThe three ingredients of a purposeful retirement
The benefits of a purpose-driven life don’t dissipate when you retire. Rather, without the imposed daily and weekly structures of the working world, it may be even more important to find purpose during this distinct stage of life. With today’s longer retirements, modern retirees have the time and health to pursue ambitious new goals, redefining…
Read MoreOctober Market Review
November 1, 2024 Better than expected economic data drove interest rates higher, changing the market narrative and contributing to an equity market pullback early in the month. This unraveled expectations of further rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) and resulted in real rates moving higher. The 10-year Treasury has moved up 48 basis points,…
Read MoreSeptember Market Review
October 1, 2024 September is typically the weakest month of the year for stocks, but thanks to the much-anticipated federal funds rate cut, the S&P 500 turned in its first positive performance in a September since 2019, achieving its 43rd record high of the year. “The Federal Reserve [Fed] is recalibrating policy, and we are…
Read MoreAugust 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…
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