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Weekly Market Insights | Tariff Talk Returns, Volatility Close Behind
Stocks were mixed last week as investor concerns over inflation and trade policy combined to produce another volatile trading week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.95 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 0.98 percent. Meanwhile, the...
Weekly Market Insights | New Indicators Rattle Investors
Stocks fell last week as concerns about sticky inflation and the pace of economic growth rattled investors. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 1.66 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 2.51 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also fell...
Weekly Market Insights | Markets Advance Amid Volatile Week
Stocks advanced last week despite some intra-week volatility as investors showed concern about the economy's strength. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.47 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 2.58 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...
Weekly Market Insights | Markets Process Tariff Deals, New Data
Stocks posted modest losses last week as tariff deals, January jobs data, and Q4 corporate reports injected volatility into markets. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slipped 0.24 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 0.53 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial...
Weekly Market Insights | Shifted Policy Gears Rev Markets
Stocks rallied last week as investors reacted positively to a handful of better-than-expected corporate earnings reports and developments out of Washington, D.C. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.74 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index added 1.65...
Weekly Market Insights | Goldilocks Returns; Market Ends Week “Just Right.”
Stocks roared back last week, fueled by upbeat Q4 corporate reports and economic news that stalled inflationary fears. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 2.91 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 2.45 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led,...
Weekly Market Insights | Investors Read Inflation Risk in Job Numbers
Stocks fell for the second consecutive week as a round of fresh economic data stoked inflationary fears among investors. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 1.94 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 2.34 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...
Weekly Market Insights | Stocks Decline Slightly as New Year Dawns
Stocks edged lower last week despite a powerful end-of-week rally. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 0.48 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index slid 0.51 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.60 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks...
Weekly Market Insights | Holiday Spending Up
Stocks notched a slight gain over the holiday week. A tech-driven rally in the first half of the week was clawed back in the second half as investors took profits following the market holiday. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.67 percent, while the Nasdaq...
Weekly Market Insights | Powell Signal Leaves Investors Cold
Stocks were under pressure last week as the Fed Chair's hawkish comments unsettled investors ahead of the holiday season. The Dow Jones Industrial Average received the hardest hit, falling 2.25 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 1.98 percent, while the...
Weekly Market Insights | Mixed Data, Mixed Results.
Stocks finished the week mixed, bookending losses around midweek gains as investors digested fresh inflation data. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slipped 0.64 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index ticked up 0.34 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...
Weekly Market Insights | Markets Mixed; Jobs Back on Track
Stocks were mixed during the first trading week of December. Technology stocks led, while the widely followed Dow Jones Industrial Average struggled. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 3.34 percent while the Dow Industrials lost 0.60 percent. The...
Weekly Market Insights | Solid Gains for Thanksgiving Week
Stocks posted solid gains over a short and busy holiday week as investors parsed fresh economic data, comments on potential future trade policy, and a few Q3 reports from technology companies. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.06 percent, while the Nasdaq...
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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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...
Happy Independence Day
The Fourth of July is just ahead – a chance for us all to get together and celebrate what makes America so special. As Americans, we have the liberty to act, speak, think, and worship freely. This precious liberty was fought for, and it has been upheld for more than...
Wishing You a Happy Father’s Day
Let’s hear it for the dads, the ones who help us grow, give us guidance, and look out for us in a million different ways. In celebration of Father’s Day, here are some of the ways you can honor the father-figures in your life: Tell the dads in your life how much you...
The Cost of Procrastination
Some of us share a common experience. You're driving along when a police cruiser pulls up behind you with its lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops. “Are you aware the registration on your car has expired?” You've experienced one...
This Memorial Day…
Memorial Day is a time for Americans to honor and remember those who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. Veterans will think back on the men and women who served alongside them who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country and know that we honor...