Weekly Wrap-up

It is easy to love the stock market when your account values go up month after month.  Conversely, it is alarming to see the monthly declines in your values. Ouch!  What should you do if you want to throw in the towel?  Here are some things to consider…   Is your...

Today we are targeted to approach the Debt Ceiling.  Think of the Debt Ceiling as hitting the maximum on your credit card limit.  For the Federal Government, that maximum is $31.4 trillion.  If the US Government goes above that maximum – it goes into default.  Just so...

The equity markets have charged into 2023 with most major indices posting positive returns.  The S&P is up 3.45% while Real Estate is up an impressive 6.23%.  Bonds are also trying to make a comeback, up 2.52%.  We expect more volatility to come, and everyone is...

On December 23, 2022, the US House of Representatives finally passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 – a spending bill authorizing roughly $1.7 trillion in new Federal Spending.  Included in the 4000+ page document was the retirement bill known as SECURE...

This year has been a doozy for the stock market.  Lots of ups and downs with the market, once again, flirting near bear market territory (down 20%+).  While you can’t control the market gyrations, here are some financial tips for things you can control. #1 Set up a...

We end the year with inflation above 7% and the stock market below 15% (and still declining).  The Federal Reserve Bank has worked very hard this year to bring inflation down from its peak of 11%+.  Unfortunately, the end does not appear to be in sight.  We’ve...

This week the Federal Reserve Bank met this week and surprised most by raising the key Fed Funds rate by 0.50%.  The markets reacted strongly on Thursday 12/15 by declining by 900 points at one point.  November inflation had come in 0.1% higher than the previous...

This week was fairly quiet following the Thanksgiving Holiday.  We are still seeing housing prices decline and demand weaken amid high mortgage rates (currently around 6.50% for a 30 yr. fixed mortgage).  Job data was released this week that also shows signs of...

Last week the inflation report came in for October much lower than expected at 7.7%. The market reacted strongly with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring 1200 points or almost 4% Nov.10. The S&P 500 increased 5.5% the same day. This is the biggest rally we...

Results of the mid-term elections and economic status update