The Markets (as of market close April 7, 2017) Stocks gave back the prior week's gains as each of the indexes listed here lost value by last Friday's market close. The small-cap Russell 2000, which had gained over 2.0% the prior week, fell over 1.5% and is once again in danger of falling below its [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 31, 2017) Riding the momentum following the presidential election, stocks surged for much of the first quarter of 2017. Buoyed by the anticipation of tax cuts and policies favorable to domestic businesses, the benchmark indexes listed here reached historic highs throughout the quarter. At the end of January, [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 31, 2017) Stocks rebounded last week as each of the indexes listed here posted week-over-week gains. The small-cap Russell 2000, the strongest-performing index last year, hit a rough patch over the past several weeks. But the index gained over 2.30% last week, pushing it up 2.12% year-to-date. Tech-heavy [...]
The arrival of spring often signifies a time of renewal, a reminder to dust off the cobwebs and get rid of the dirt and grime that have built up throughout the winter season. And while most spring cleaning projects are likely focused on your home, you could take this time to evaluate and clean up [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 24, 2017) Uncertainty over whether Congress would pass a new health-care law, coupled with the prospects of additional interest rate hikes later in the year, may have weighed on investors' minds as stocks tumbled early last week. The S&P 500 lost over 1.0% last week for the first [...]
The IRS expects that more than 70% of taxpayers will receive a refund in 2017.¹ What you do with a tax refund is up to you, but here are some ideas that may make your refund twice as valuable. Double your savings Perhaps you'd like to use your tax refund to start an education fund [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 17, 2017) Following the Fed's announcement that it was raising the target range for the federal funds rate 25 basis points, investors favored government bonds and dividend-paying stocks last week. As a result, the yield on 10-year Treasuries fell 7 basis points as prices climbed with increased demand. [...]
Tax filing season is here again. If you haven't done so already, you'll want to start pulling things together — that includes getting your hands on a copy of last year's tax return and gathering W-2s, 1099s, and deduction records. You'll need these records whether you're preparing your own return or paying someone else to [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 10, 2017) Stocks rallied last Friday, fueled by a robust jobs report. However, the end-of-week surge wasn't enough to overcome index losses from earlier in the week. Falling energy prices dragged down both the large-cap Dow and S&P 500, while the Russell 2000 dropped over 2.0% and is [...]
The Markets (as of market close February 28, 2017) Equities continued their positive trend in February as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted monthly gains. The Dow recorded 12 record highs in February and posted a monthly gain of 4.77% — its best month since November. The S&P 500 (3.72%) and Nasdaq (3.75%) [...]
