January 2025 Stock market volatility continued during the fourth quarter, with investors balancing better than expected economic activity against the likelihood of fewer and smaller interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve going forward. Stocks made steady gains during the first half of October on expectations of strong corporate earnings reports. While the majority of...
October 1, 2024 Stock market volatility picked up during the third quarter, with investors rotating out of technology shares and into value and small capitalization stocks that were left behind when technology shares surged higher during the first half of the year. Conflicting reports on the state of the economy also contributed to the increase...
2024 Stock Market Performance thru July 12 The US stock market appears to be having a very strong year based on the returns of well-known indices such as the NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500. However, appearances can be misleading. Both indices are heavily concentrated in a small number of mega-cap stocks. The strong returns of...
June 14, 2024 During April, an unexpected increase in the rate of inflation pressured both stock and long-term bond valuations. The S&P 500 declined approximately 5% and the yield on the bell weather 10-year Treasury rose from 4.2% to 4.7%. (Higher yields mean lower prices for bonds.) These losses were short lived. Stocks began...
March 29, 2024 US stocks rose steadily during the first quarter, with the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Dow indices each setting, then repeatedly resetting record highs. Growth stocks led the charge during January and February, before relinquishing the lead to Value stocks in March. The stock market’s strength was impressive, given that multiple reports...
December 14, 2023 Stronger than expected job growth and a sharp escalation in Mideast tensions pressured both stocks and long-term bonds in October. During November, smaller than expected increases in many price indexes raised expectations that the Fed might be ready to cut interest rates in 2024. This triggered rallies in both stocks and...
The US stock market rallied in July, helped along by better-than-expected economic data and inflation continuing to trend lower. Stocks declined at the start of August due to several factors including a downgrade of the credit rating for US bonds by rating agency Fitch, the US Treasury issuing more government debt than expected, and a conservative...
Financial markets began 2023 with a strong January rally propelled by hope that central banks would soon declare victory over inflation. During February, stocks and bonds gave up most of these gains as larger than expected consumer price increases prompted Federal Reserve officials to declare that interest rates would need to move higher, and remain...
In 2019 Congress took an important step in improving retirement opportunity for Americans by passing the Secure Act that incentivized saving for retirement and increasing access to workplace plans. The legislation proved to need further refining and direction to reach its true goals. In December 2022, Secure Act 2.0 was passed by Congress. Below are...
Job loss: Though it’s likely to happen to everyone at some point, periods of unemployment can be some of the most difficult, anxiety-inducing financial moments many of us will ever encounter. For most Americans, the majority of income each year comes from earned wages and salary. Without a strong plan in place, losing that income...
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