The Markets (as of market close August 26, 2016) As the "dog days" of summer drag on, trading continues to be relatively light. Oil prices fell at the beginning of last week amid rumors that Iraq may up its oil exports, prompting stocks to retreat. While stocks rallied midweek, they sunk by the close [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 19, 2016) By the close of last Monday, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq each had reached record highs for the second time in the past week, only to retreat by Tuesday's close. The dollar lost value against the euro, yen, and pound on the heels of a [...]
Naming Beneficiaries: What You Need to Know A major issue in estate planning is whom to name as beneficiaries on life insurance policies, pension plan accounts, IRAs, and annuities. This important decision often doesn't take into account the substantial estate and income tax consequences the beneficiary may incur. So before you name a beneficiary, you [...]
What's the Best Way to Give Money to Children and Grandchildren? In 2014, the IRS allows you to give up to $14,000 annually (or $28,000 if you give jointly with your spouse) to each of as many people as you'd like in cash, investments, and/or property without triggering gift taxes. (This limit may be adjusted [...]
Give Your Retirement Plan a Tune-Up Conducting an annual review of your retirement goals and strategy is an ideal way to check that your plans for your financial future remain realistic and on track. With that in mind, taking the three easy steps outlined below will help you conduct your retirement tune-up. Step 1: Review [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 5, 2016) Oil prices continued to fall early last week, sending large-cap indexes lower. As the week progressed, oil prices gained some momentum, as did U.S. stock indexes. On the heels of a favorable jobs report, stocks rebounded by the end of last week to post gains in [...]
Pay Yourself First Each month you settle down to pay bills. You pay your mortgage lender. You pay the electric company. You pay the trash collector. But do you pay yourself? One of the most basic tenets of sound investing involves the simple habit of “paying yourself first,” in other words, making the first payment [...]
The Markets (as of market close July 29, 2016) The large-cap indexes cooled off a bit last week, particularly influenced by a somewhat disappointing GDP growth rate for the second quarter and lackluster earnings reports from some key companies. On the other hand, the tech-based Nasdaq and the small-cap Russell 2000 each posted weekly gains, [...]
The Markets (as of market close July 29, 2016) Following an initial downturn largely in response to June's Brexit vote, equities rebounded during the month of July. The first full week of the month saw each of the indexes listed here improve over the prior week, led by the Nasdaq, which gained almost 2.0%. The [...]
The Markets (as of market close July 22, 2016) The S&P 500 reached a record high last Friday as each of the indexes listed here posted marginal gains over the prior week. Equities have demonstrated a positive trend over the past several weeks. The Nasdaq eclipsed its previous high only to slip a bit by [...]
