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Weekly Market Insights: Market Rallies But Ends Week Flat
Stocks were essentially unchanged last week as geopolitical tensions added some volatility to an otherwise quiet trading week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat (+0.09 percent), while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index ticked up 0.22 percent. The Nasdaq...
Weekly Market Insights: Rate Cut Momentum; D.C. Averts Shutdown
Stocks moved higher last week, continuing to build on the momentum generated after the Federal Reserve decided to cut short-term rates by 0.50 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 0.59 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.95 percent. The Dow Jones...
Weekly Market Insights: Fed Cuts Interest Rate by Half-Point
Stocks moved higher last week after the Federal Reserve’s half-point rate cut, bolstered by multiple data points supporting a cooling but still strong economy and decelerating inflation. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.36 percent, while the Nasdaq...
Weekly Market Insights: Stocks Rally Ahead of Fed Meeting
Stocks rallied last week as investors received better-than-expected consumer and producer inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.60 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 4.02 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up 5.95...
Weekly Market Insights: Markets Focus on Fed’s Big September Move
Stocks fell last week as soft economic data rattled investors focused on the Fed’s next move with interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.93 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 4.25 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell...
Weekly Market Insights: Stocks React to Key Data and Earnings
There were mixed results for stocks last week as upbeat economic data and a critical Q2 corporate report shaped the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.94 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.24 percent. The Nasdaq Composite lagged,...
Weekly Market Insights: Powell: Fed is Ready for Rate Cut
Stocks notched a solid gain as dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials boosted the market’s recovery from early August lows. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.45 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite added 1.40 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...
Weekly Market Insights: Markets Rise Thanks to Upbeat Indicators
Stocks posted solid gains last week, buoyed by robust economic data and constructive comments from Fed officials. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.93 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 5.29 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged a bit,...
Weekly Market Insights: Stocks Stage Comeback After Heavy Monday
Stocks ended last week with modest losses, masking a volatile five-day trading period that saw investors embrace recession concerns and then dismiss the slow-down talk as speculation as the week progressed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.60 percent, while...
Weekly Market Insights: Fed Goes Dove; Investors Retreat
Stocks fell broadly last week as investors looked past upbeat Fed comments and focused on disappointing corporate reports and weaker-than-expected economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.20 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 2.06...
Weekly Market Insights: Down Corporate Reports Shake Investors
Stocks had a mixed, see-saw week as disappointing corporate reports unsettled investors who appeared to rotate away from some leading groups in favor of other names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 0.75 percent. Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s 500...
Weekly Market Insights: Investors Shift, Anticipating Lower Interest Rates
Stocks were under pressure last week as investors appeared to rotate out of mega-cap tech stocks and into areas that may benefit from lower interest rates. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.97 percent, while Nasdaq Composite Index declined 3.65 percent. The...
Weekly Market Insights: Stocks Advance After New Inflation Data
Stocks advanced last week as market leadership shifted amid fresh inflation data and quarterly corporate reports starting to roll in. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.87 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 1.59 percent. The...
Questions To Ask A Financial Advisor
The recent volatility in the stock market has again become a wake up call to many investors.
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Advised Brokerage Accounts Are Better Diversified, Reports Schwab
The report highlights the benefits of working with an advisor. In general, participants who had professional help were more diversified across all of their holdings
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Where is Your Best Place to Retire?
The best place to retire in the United States is in dispute. There’s no formal debate, but a review of reliable publications showed surveys have named different states and cities as the “best” place to retire.
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Documenting Your Possessions in Case of Disaster
It’s better to protect yourself now and document your possessions rather than trying to do it after something has happened. A home inventory will give you an accurate recording of your assets for insurance purposes and give you a better idea of how much homeowner’s insurance you need to ensure proper coverage.
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Unused Vacation Days Can Be Costly
Would you give up a share of $62 billion? If your answer is no, then you may be a member of the relatively small group of Americans (36 percent) that takes all of the vacation days available to them each year.
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Red Flags for Tax Auditors
No one wants to see an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) auditor show up at his or her door. The IRS can’t audit every American’s tax return, so it relies on guidelines to select the ones most deserving of its attention.
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Six Steps To Financial Independence For Women
Financial independence: Whether you enjoy it or dream about it, it’s a common term that you’ve probably seen in magazine ads, TV commercials and billboards. But what really does financial independence mean, exactly?
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Understanding Credit Reporting
To qualify for the best loans at the lowest rates, borrowers must qualify financially and are scored by lenders using a computerized model for evaluating credit risk, developed by Fair, Isaac, and Company, known as the FICO score. Learn more
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Organizing Your Financial Records and Emergency Forms
Would someone be able to find your important papers during a crisis if you became ill, injured, or incapacitated? It’s a good idea to make sure a trusted family member or friend knows where to find your personal documents.
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5 Benefits of Working in Retirement
In the past, retirement has been portrayed as an ending, a grand exit from your years in the workplace. But the rules are shifting.
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The Drawback Of Target Date Mutual Funds
If the majority of fund management won’t even invest in their own target-date retirement funds….why should you?
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Just How Safe Is An Insurance Company, Really?
When you think about the car you drive, the house you live in, the health plan you use and the life insurance policy you have, it’s not a stretch to say insurance is an intrinsic part of our daily lives.
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Credit Freeze - You should consider it!
It’s been over a year since Equifax, one of the three largest credit reporting agencies in the U.S., revealed they’d been hacked.
What did you do to protect your data?.
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Should Parents Pay for College Tuition?
It’s a pricey question.
College Board estimated the average cost for full-time, in-state students who live on campus at four-year public colleges or universities during the 2017-18 school year is $25,290.
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Just Say NO to Pie Charts!!
Pie charts look nice coming out of a color printer, but they can’t help manage investment risk
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An Investment Advisor’s Blueprint To Making Solid Financial Decisions
A common mistake people make is to give up what they want most for what they only want right now. Pick which goals in your life are most important to you, and make achieving those goals your utmost priority. Then…
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Enjoy Life. Hire Someone To Watch Your 401K
Have you ever thought you’d be happier if you could just pay someone else to do watch your company 401K retirement plan account?
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The 7 Rules of Investing
From 1977 through 1990, Lynch ran one of the most successful mutual funds ever, posting an average annual return of 29%.
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Considering A 401K Rollover?
What to do with an old 401K?
One great thing about a 401K retirement savings plan is that your assets are often portable when you leave a job.
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Have You Checked Out Our Retirement Planning Library?
While retirement planning can seem intimidating, it’s never too early or too late to start preparing for the future.
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Common Financial Terms
We have compiled a list of important financial terms. If you don’t speak personal finance, don’t worry—we’re here to help.
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Hot Dog Inflation at the Ballpark
When you hear “hot dog” and “inflation” in the same sentence, you might think of those supermarket franks that plump up when cooked. In this case, we’re talking about the original dogs of the ballpark, a cultural touchstone of America’s pastime. The average price of a...
Happy Labor Day
As we celebrate Labor Day, we can think about the hard work we perform for our communities. We can also consider the work of those before us and how their efforts helped build this great nation we know and love. I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend!
Special Edition from Jack Reutemann
Friends, Family, Clients, The market's charts look worse than the actual numbers. The S&P 500 is down 4.62% from its all-time high. While not catastrophic, it's a significant drop. As usual, we've adopted a defensive stance to protect our substantial SPXL gains by...
Happy Independence Day
Happy 4th of July! Whether you’re celebrating with a cookout, a family gathering, or watching the fireworks with friends, Independence Day reminds us how lucky we all are to belong to this great nation. Enjoy the long weekend and join us in giving thanks for the...
Inflation Drops; Fed Changes Outlook
“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Words of wisdom from baseball legend Yogi Berra. And words that Fed Chair Jerome Powell has taken to heart. “Inflation has eased over the past year but remains elevated,” Powell said following the Fed’s June meeting. In other words, “it...
This Memorial Day…
Memorial Day is so much more than a long weekend. It is a chance for us to remember those who gave all for this great nation and the freedoms it offers. This Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the lives and legacies of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our...
Special content from Jack, very short read!
Uh oh! Signs of a potential financial market correction may be on the horizon: The S&P 500 is down 4% from its all-time high. Investors are showing increased interest in gold, silver, copper, and other commodities, which are often seen as safe havens during...
Special Edition from Research Financial Strategies
Dear Friends and Clients, This week, a good friend and client brought something significant to my attention. Despite our initial struggles to uncover the full story, my resourceful son-in-law managed to locate it. It comprises three parts and runs approximately 45...
The Fed’s Drive To 2% Inflation
February isn't over yet, but the Cleveland Fed has released its projections for a few key economic markers. Why are these markers important? The Fed likes to look at the Consumer Personal Expenditures (CPE) to gauge whether or not their plan to curb inflation is...
Consumers Expect Better Days Ahead
Many consider the University of Michigan the gold standard for reporting on consumer sentiment and trends. Among its 50 monthly reports, the most well-known is the "UMich Consumer Sentiment" survey, which measures consumer confidence. I also follow the University of...
Wishing You A Happy And Safe Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is almost here: a time to enjoy friends, family, great food, and maybe a whole lot of football. As we give thanks for what we have received and celebrate the triumphs in our lives, we are continuing a tradition that has lasted for hundreds of years. This...
Another Successful Kids Charity Golf Tournament!
Lollipop Golf TournamentThanks to everyone for helping us make this another successful event! Clients, advisors and friends always make this one of our favorites each year!More about Lollipop Kids and the incredible work they do!
A.I. Is Everywhere
If you've heard CEOs mention "A.I." multiple times during second-quarter conference calls or on the news, you're not imagining it. There have been an astounding 1,072 mentions of A.I. (and counting) so far.1 Some believe that A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) has the...