After a disastrous first quarter, the stock market rallied and had its best quarter in more than 20 years. The S&P 500 gained around 20% for the quarter, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained over 18%. For the year, technology stocks, led by companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, have greatly outperformed other sectors. Much of the quarter’s… Read More
Author Archive
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The Coronavirus Bear and Its Place in History
The pace with which the Coronavirus bear toppled the longest-running bull market in history was startling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average officially entered the “Coronavirus bear market” in just 20 trading days, easily making it the fastest such slide in stock market history. The second fastest was 1929 and that took 36 trading days. Lest we forget: the highest closing… Read More
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Market Recap – 1st Quarter 2020
The world dramatically changed this quarter. After an incredible year for the stock market, strong economic growth, and record low unemployment, the coronavirus struck. While social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders save lives, they damage economies. Businesses, especially those in leisure, hospitality, retail, and transportation, have come to an abrupt stop. Initial claims for unemployment spiked to over 3.2 million… Read More
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There’s still time to fund your IRA for 2019!
Your IRA is a great investment tool for your retirement. For 2019, you can contribute up to $6,000 into your IRA ($7,000 if you’re age 50 or older)*. If you haven’t filed your tax return yet, you can still make 2019 IRA contributions until April 15th, 2020. Why should you maximize contributions? Maximizing your contribution allows for the greatest growth of your investment. The… Read More
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Market Recap: 4th Quarter 2019
The last quarter delivered a strong finish to a great year for the stock market. Throughout the year, the market moved on news of the trade dispute with China. Ultimately, progress was made with China and the markets rallied. Stock buybacks also helped the stock market. Many companies used larger profits from the lower tax rate to buy back… Read More
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Market Recap: 3rd Quarter 2019
Results for the 3rd quarter were mixed. The quarter got off to a good start as the U.S. and China agreed to continue trade negotiations and the U.S. postponed further tariff increases. This news, along with the Federal Reserve signaling an interest-rate cut, helped markets rally to new highs. However, in August, trade issues heated up again with both countries… Read More
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Back-to-School Expenses
As school season ramps up, shopping commercials will become more prevalent as parents and their children start planning for the next school year. Below are strategies to keep in mind as you navigate back-to-school expenses. Set a Budget According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), $3.4 billion was projected to be spent on backpacks alone in 2017. Take the time… Read More
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Market Recap: 2nd Quarter 2019
Stock gains continued in April, with the economy growing faster than expected at an annual growth rate of 3.2% for the first quarter. However, markets stumbled in May triggered again by U.S. and China trade issues, as the U.S. increased tariffs on nearly half of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%, after which China retaliated by increasing tariffs on $60… Read More
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Renting Your Property
As children, we are taught to share. What if sharing could generate income? The possibility is present, but it is a matter of evaluating the cost to income ratio. Renting Out a Location Generally speaking, hotels owned the rental market share for vacation stays and work trips sector. Sites such as Airbnb, VRBO, and FlipKey among others, have made it… Read More
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Market Recap: 1st Quarter 2019
The stock market bounced back rapidly after the steep losses last quarter, showing the importance of staying invested after downturns. In fact, it was the best quarter in nearly a decade for U.S. stocks with the S&P 500 up 13.65% and smaller U.S. stocks up 14.58%. Technology and real estate were the best performing sectors, while health care was the… Read More
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There’s Still Time to Fund Your IRA for 2018!
Your IRA is a great investment tool for your retirement. For 2018, you can contribute up to $5,500 into your IRA ($6,500 if you’re age 50 or older)*. If you haven’t filed your tax return yet, you can still make 2018 IRA contributions until April 15th, 2019. Why should you maximize contributions? Maximizing your contribution allows for the greatest growth of your investment. The… Read More
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Fourth Quarter 2018 Market Recap
After experiencing record low volatility in 2017, huge market swings dominated this year. According to the S&P Dow Jones Indices, there have been over 100 days this year where the daily spread between the high and low has exceeded 1%. The year started with a large drop in February but recovered and looked in decent position by the end of… Read More
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Child Care Costs
Referenced on Babycenter.com, the average cost of center-based daycare in the United States is $11,666 per year ($972 a month), but prices range from $3,582 to $18,773 a year ($300 to $1,564 monthly), according to the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Below are some topics that may give insight on money-saving ideas. Selective Scheduling Scheduling arrangements such as staggering spousal work schedules or… Read More
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Are You on Track to Meet Your Financial Goals?
What do you see when you think of the next 10, 20, 30+ years of your life? Perhaps you’re looking to retire close to a white beach, maybe you’d like to take your family on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to the Serengeti, or you’d like to pay for your child’s wedding. Have you considered how you will reach these goals? Perhaps… Read More
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3rd Quarter 2018 Market Recap
The U.S. stock market reached another milestone this quarter, as the current bull market became the longest equity bull market in U.S. history. Since the start of the bull market in March 2009, the S&P 500 has more than quadrupled. Many of the market gains this year have been due to strong gains by technology companies, such as Apple and… Read More