The Markets (as of market close April 30, 2018) April was marked by the impending tariff war between the United States and China. Tensions between the world's two largest economies certainly affected stocks both home and abroad. Escalating strife in Syria posed an additional reason for investors to be concerned. However, surging energy stocks lifted [...]
The Markets (as of market close May 4, 2018) Despite a closing rally last Friday, large caps closed the week down from the prior week. The tech-heavy Nasdaq and the small caps of the Russell 2000 fared better, up 1.26% and 0.60%, respectively. The jobs report sent mixed messages to investors, with the lowest unemployment [...]
What are the gift and estate tax rules after tax reform? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December 2017, approximately doubled the federal gift and estate tax basic exclusion amount to $11.18 million in 2018 (adjusted for inflation in later years). After 2025, the exclusion is scheduled to revert to its [...]
What are some tips for creating a budget and sticking to it? It's a common problem for many individuals — wondering exactly where your paycheck goes each month. After paying expenses, such as your mortgage, utilities, and credit card bills, you may find little left to put toward anything else. Creating a budget is the [...]
The Markets (as of market close April 27, 2018) An avalanche of corporate earnings reports impacted the market last week. Unfortunately, there were enough lackluster corporate earnings statements to prompt investors to exercise caution, resulting in a relatively flat week for equities. The Dow fell the most — over 0.5% — while the S&P 500 [...]
The Markets (as of market close April 20, 2018) Favorable first-quarter earnings reports helped push stocks higher for the second consecutive week. Led by the small caps of the Russell 2000, each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains by the end of last week. The energy sector continued to post strong returns, boosted [...]
The Markets (as of market close April 13, 2018) Surging energy stocks led a market rebound last week as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains. Although stocks closed higher by week's end, volatility continued to be the benchmark during the week as investors remain uneasy amidst the turbulent political climate. The trade [...]
The Markets (as of market close April 6, 2018) In likely reaction to the potential trade war with China, stocks fell last week, stripping away the previous week's gains. Last week, China responded to the Trump administration's proposal to increase tariffs on Chinese goods by announcing that it would impose 25% tariffs on several American [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 29, 2018) The first quarter of 2018 began as the fourth quarter of 2017 ended: with strong market gains. The Nasdaq led the way by the end of January, posting a monthly increase of almost 7.40%, followed by the large caps of the Dow (5.79%) and the S&P [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 29, 2018) Each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted weekly gains last week, as stocks recovered from the prior week's steep losses. The S&P 500 and Dow posted returns exceeding 2.0%, respectively, followed by the Russell 2000 and the Nasdaq. While many of the markets were closed [...]
