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OCTOBER 2023: Interpreting The S&P 500 - Things May Not Be As They Seem
The S&P 500 is a general stock market index that measures the performance of 500 companies in the U.S. stock exchange. The S&P 500 index is calculated using two different methods: the Market...
Read MoreSEPTEMBER 2023 Newsletter: Budget Bill Next "Headline Risk" for Stocks
Have you ever heard the expression, “It’s a headline risk for the markets?” Headline risk is the chance that an unsettling news event–anticipated or a surprise–can add volatility to the financial markets....
Read MoreAUGUST 2023: Why the Fed is Focused on Your Paycheck
The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate—manage inflation and maximize employment. But sometimes, those economic goals conflict with each other. As you can see in the accompanying chart, labor shortages in 2022 pressured businesses...
Read MoreJULY 2023 Newsletter: Student Loan Payments to Resume in October
On June 30th the Supreme Court ruled against President Joe Biden's plan to wipe out student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans. The decision means that federal loan borrowers who were eligible for relief will need to...
Read MoreJUNE 2023 Newsletter: Now That the Debt Ceiling is Over, What's Next?
Now that the debt ceiling negotiations are behind us and President Biden has signed the measure, what will Wall Street's wandering eye focus on next?Inflation? Interest rates? Recession? Artificial intelligence?More than likely,...
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MAY 2023 Newsletter: Investor Sentiment Tested
Spring is often thought of as an uplifting time, marked by growth and renewed hope as we emerge from the long months of winter and look ahead to the rest of year. Investors saw signs of such renewed hope in recent weeks, especially on...
Read MoreAPRIL 2023 Newsletter: A Resilient March
The financial markets’ resilient performance during March was striking, despite pockets of uncertainty surrounding the strength of the economy — including concerns over the durability of the banking system. The ability of...
Read MoreMARCH 2023 Newsletter: Waiting for New Highs
Given the volatility of the markets over the past fourteen months, we offer the following perspective from Jeffrey Buchbinder, CFA, Chief Equity Strategist of LPL Financial's research team:_____Financial markets have experienced quite...
Read MoreFEBRUARY 2023 Newsletter: Words of Wisdom from Warren Buffett
The stock market can provide some head-scratching moments, which is why I like Warren Buffet’s quote, “...don’t watch the market closely.”Stocks have been strong this year, and they rallied...
Read MoreJANUARY 2023 Newsletter: SECURE Act 2.0 Passed In Final Days Of 2022
Happy New Year!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...
Read MoreDECEMBER 2022 Newsletter: Is the Fed Ready to Pause?
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...
Read MoreNOVEMBER 2022 Newsletter: New Retirement Contribution Limits for 2023
The Internal Revenue Service has released new limits for the coming year. After months of high inflation and financial uncertainty, some of these cost-of-living-based adjustments have reached near-record levels.Individual Retirement...
Read MoreOCTOBER 2022 Newletter: Putting Interest Rates Into Perspective
Traditionally, we are a little cautious when people say, “it’s different this time.” After all, the past few years have seen more financial “firsts” than most.But despite that skepticism, this year saw...
Read MoreSEPTEMBER 2022 Newsletter: Three Ways the Inflation Act Could Impact You
Have you heard? The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on Tuesday, August 16. While the $430 billion package includes many provisions, we thought we'd highlight three key areas where you may benefit the most.Tax...
Read MoreAugust 2022 Newsletter: Unpacking the Summer Economy
It’s natural to think “defense” during a bearish market season. But why not mix in some “offense” with your defense? Here are four moves we can discuss together that may be helpful during the current...
Read MoreMidyear Outlook 2022: Navigating Turbulence
Markets rarely give us clear skies, and there are always threats to watch for on the horizon, but the right preparation, context, and support can help us navigate anything that may lie ahead. So far, this year hasn’t seen a...
Read MoreJULY 2022: 4 Shrewd Maneuvers in a Down Market
It’s natural to think “defense” during a bearish market season. But why not mix in some “offense” with your defense? Here are four moves we can discuss together that may be helpful during the current...
Read MoreJUNE 2022 Newsletter: Care for a COLA with Your Social Security?
As you might have heard, people are talking about a big bump in Social Security benefits next year.The Senior Citizens League says payments could rise by as much as 8.6 percent in 2023, compared to an increase of 5.9 percent in 2022....
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