Broker Check
Login

Blog

Friday, May 26, 2023

What is a bull market, and more importantly, who determines if we are in one?Technically speaking, a bull market is defined as a 20% gain in a stock market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500, from a closing low.So are we in one?...

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Living Trusts: Understanding the Basics and Key ConsiderationsBodyEstate management can be a complex and daunting task for many people, but it’s a critical step in helping your assets get managed and distributed according to your...

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Would it surprise you to hear that investors have moved past worrying about inflation? They have, at least for now.Wall Street has shifted its attention to Washington’s budget negotiations and how the debt ceiling will be...

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Trying to Time a Recession?BodyEconomies move in cycles – always have, always willThe Federal Reserve has been steadily increasing interest rates in an attempt to slow the rate of inflation. Its efforts are yielding some results,...

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Don't hold a surprise birthday party for Jerome Powell. He would hate it. And if you plan on visiting the Fed Chair, call first. He doesn't like surprises.Powell delivered on his March promise at the most recent Fed meeting by...

Show All

Thursday, May 4, 2023

I wanted to take a moment to update you on the potential changes to Social Security benefits for 2024. As I'm sure you know, the Social Security Administration calculates annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) based on the Consumer...

Thursday, April 27, 2023

From my perspective, we can't hear the word "better" enough in the weeks ahead."Better than expected." "Better than feared." "Better than forecasted."These are winning phrases that can be used by market pundits when they compare a...

Friday, April 14, 2023

If you're an investor looking for something to worry about, you never have to go more than a few days on Wall Street.As you can see from the accompanying chart, 11 economic reports are scheduled for release during 19 trading days in...

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Market timing must be exhausting. Always moving in and out of the markets based on economic analysis or business headlines must be so challenging.The accompanying chart shows that money held in money market mutual funds rose to $5.1...

Friday, March 31, 2023

Jerome Powell is a man of his word. And the financial markets believe that's an excellent trait for the Federal Reserve Chairman.Powell told the financial markets to prepare for a 25 basis points increase in short-term rates in early...

Thursday, March 23, 2023

As the financial markets sort through the banking sector's issues, speculators have adjusted their outlook for interest rates for 2023 and beyond.In the first table, you can see that on March 3, speculators were expecting the Federal...

Friday, March 17, 2023

When events like Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank happen, it's natural to wonder how a bank safeguards your funds. Fortunately, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance was designed for this very reason:...

Friday, March 3, 2023

One of my favorite Warren Buffett quotes is, “Remember that the stock market is a manic depressive.”What he’s suggesting is that stock prices can sometimes swing wildly from day to day in response to even minor news....

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Investors put the economy on recession watch when the Fed started its “higher in a hurry” push with short-term interest rates in mid-2022.After the 10-year/2-year Treasury curve inverted in July 2022, it was “all...

Friday, February 17, 2023

Would it surprise you that the U.K. stock market is hitting new all-time highs and several other European markets are either at new highs or approaching new all-time highs?It seems like only a few months ago, European economies...

Friday, February 3, 2023

"Is the bear market over?"That's a question I've been asked a number of times in recent weeks. And my answer is the same, "Let's give it a little time."But people are quick to remind me that stocks are off to a good start in 2023,...

Thursday, January 19, 2023

The December inflation report had some encouraging news. It showed that consumer prices trended lower for the month, but more importantly, it confirmed that overall prices have been trending lower for the past six months.Now the ball...

Thursday, January 12, 2023

In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement.The law is called SECURE 2.0, and it's a follow-up to...

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Congress spent the final days of 2022 on new reforms designed to help Americans save more for retirement.You may hear the changes called SECURE Act 2.0, which is a follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement...

Thursday, December 22, 2022

What does the bond market know that the Fed isn’t telling us?Fed officials recently have said that short-term rates will need to climb to over 5 percent to bring inflation under control. But in the table below, you can see that...

Friday, December 9, 2022

The holiday season is upon us; from story time with sorely missed grandchildren to laughter with friends and family over long-cherished memories, there's little doubt that "the most wonderful time of the year" has arrived.For my family...

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Over the years, the Fed has followed a similar pattern with interest rates. It raises interest rates, then pauses, so it can see how the economy is adjusting to the higher rates. The chart below shows the Fed’s pattern with...

Thursday, November 17, 2022

October's Consumer Price Index (CPI) had some encouraging news for investors, but others asked, "Is this a game changer or another head fake?"While it's a bit early to know the answer, it was great to see that inflation rose at a...

Thursday, November 10, 2022

The financial markets are on edge this year each time Fed Chair Jerome Powell takes the podium following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.The chart below shows that the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index has gained...

Thursday, November 3, 2022

You may have heard the phrase “contrarian investing,” but did you know that one of the most reliable contrary indicators is individual investors?Retail investors often do the wrong thing at the wrong time. But this year,...

Monday, October 24, 2022

I’ve always been a little cautious when people say, “it’s different this time.” But the table below suggests the Fed is approaching 2022’s inflation differently than other financial events in recent...

Thursday, October 13, 2022

How well do you remember 1981? Harrison Ford had his first bow as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Frogger and Donkey Kong were all the rage at video arcades. Bob Ross left the Air Force and took up painting. On top of that,...

Thursday, October 6, 2022

Lately, "inflation" seems to be the media's favorite word. Everywhere you turn, there's another story about the impact of inflation. For example, many news outlets have reported that confectionary prices have surged over 30% from last...

Friday, September 30, 2022

Wall Street is always searching for a hero to embrace or a villain to blame. And right now, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is the villain.After the September Fed meeting, Powell said interest rates may be heading higher for longer than...

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month? This event promoted by FEMA guides Americans in ensuring their families and communities are ready in case of natural disasters or other emergencies.But did you also know that the...

Friday, September 16, 2022

Believe me, everyone on Wall Street wants inflation to go away, or at least shrink back to below 2%, a level we enjoyed not so long ago.But Tuesday's Consumer Price Index report showed it might be some time before we see 2% again....

Thursday, September 8, 2022

We’re entering a tricky time of year: September and October have a reputation for bringing an extra measure of market volatility.Some of the stock market’s most challenging events have hit in September and October, and...

Thursday, September 1, 2022

The White House recently forgave up to $10,000 to student loan borrowers as part of a larger debt forgiveness program. There are still quite a few questions to be answered, but here are some key points to know.Pell vs. non-Pell: Loan...

Thursday, August 25, 2022

I’m hearing a lot of mixed messages these days about the economy. Some headlines say we’re already in a recession; some say one is looming. Others hint that we’ll avoid a recession and have a soft landing. It makes...

Friday, August 19, 2022

Have you heard? The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on Tuesday, August 16. While the $430 billion package includes many provisions, I thought I’d highlight three key areas where you may benefit the most.Tax credits...

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Does waiting 30 days for a government report seem a bit unreasonable? After all, we live in a world of instant messages and real-time quotes. Why should we wait a whole month between updates on the Consumer Price Index to see what's...

Thursday, August 4, 2022

In the financial world, some weeks are more important than others, and we just lived through a big one. Let's unpack each of the four key stats:The Fed. As expected, the Fed bumped up short-term rates again at its July meeting. But the...

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Earnings Propel StocksEarnings season kicked off last week, with major banks reporting second quarter results. While their results were mixed, they appeared to indicate that consumers and businesses remained reasonably healthy–a...

Friday, July 22, 2022

We strive to keep you regularly updated with important market changes and news.Please listen to the most recent market update from Phil Blancato, Advisor Group’s Chief Market Strategist. This call discusses recent updates for the...

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Phew, what a roller coaster we’ve all been riding. There’s so much going on in the world right now, and a lot of it is less-than-happy news. Understandably, most of us have nagging worries about what’s going on in the...

Thursday, July 7, 2022

Market UpdateObservations U.S. equities moved lower this week as indicated by the S&P 500 which was down -2.18% on the week.In the U.S., smaller sized companies outperformed their larger-sized counterparts, as the Russell 2000...

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Good days and bad days are a fact of life in the market. Sometimes it’s up and we celebrate. But when it dips, we worry…and if it tanks, forget it: the first instinct for most of us is panic, and we wonder if we should just...

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Like it or not, taxes are a way of life. They fund great things like roads, libraries and parks, but nobody wants to pay more than they absolutely have to. We often get questions like, “How can I balance my tax obligations with...

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

When market volatility is headline news and account values start to fall, it’s easy to understand why investors get jittery. Even with a boatload of historical data to support us, in times of stress we all struggle to overcome...

Friday, June 10, 2022

Recently, you may have seen some headlines talking about an “inverted yield curve” and what it may mean for the economy.  An inverted yield curve is just one indicator of the economy’s possible direction, so...

Thursday, June 2, 2022

It’s hard to ignore current news about persistent market volatility, and we’re guessing this has resulted in some anxiety about what (if anything) you should be doing. Please be assured that we are actively monitoring the...

Thursday, May 26, 2022

It’s hard to ignore current news about persistent market volatility, and we’re guessing this has resulted in some anxiety about what (if anything) you should be doing. Please be assured that we are actively monitoring the...

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Monday, November 1, 2021

There are a lot of questions about President Biden’s Build Back Better plan and potential tax law changes, including an adjustment to capital gains taxes.One of the proposals Congress is considering sets the top rate for taxing...

Monday, October 25, 2021

While the world has begun to recover from the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delayed reaction has been felt in the supply chain. Industrial shutdowns around the world slowed production to a relative crawl, leaving...

Monday, July 12, 2021

Summer brings the perfect time for BBQs with friends, fun in the sun, and making memories at the beach or pool. With the first half of the year in the rearview mirror, summer also gives us a chance to perform a mid-year assessment on...

Monday, May 10, 2021

Recently, there’s been a lot of noise about the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan, commonly referred to as the ‘infrastructure bill.’ We’ve heard a lot about infrastructure over the few years, and...

Monday, May 10, 2021

Welcome to our blog, we hope you'll find this content interesting and useful.