The Markets (as of market close January 31, 2017) Investors were cautious for much of the month, likely waiting to see what President Trump would do during his first few weeks in office. After a slow close to December, equities picked up the pace during the early part of January as each of the indexes [...]
The Markets (as of market close January 20, 2017) For most of last week, the market was fairly lackluster. By the close of the market last Thursday, the Dow had fallen to 19,732. However, equities rallied on Inauguration Day, recouping most of the value lost earlier in the week. Nevertheless, the Nasdaq and the large-cap [...]
The Markets (as of market close January 13, 2017) The past few weeks have seen the markets experience some volatility following several weeks of post-election gains. The Dow fell for the second time in the past three weeks, while the S&P 500 stayed about the same. Both the Global Dow and Russell 2000 posted marginal [...]
Overview The year 2016 likely will be remembered for the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States and the Brexit vote. This year also saw the Fed raise interest rates for the first time since last December, noting that the labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity [...]
The Markets (as of market close December 23, 2016) The Dow reached its seventh consecutive week of gains as it nears 20000. As it stood at the close of last week, the Dow was about 66 points away from that milestone. During a slow week of trading leading up to the holidays, each of the [...]
I'm Changing Jobs. What Should I Do With the Money in My Plan? Changing jobs is an important decision -- one that many of us are making more often. Once you've decided to switch jobs, your next move is to determine what to do with the money in your former employer's retirement plan. Generally, you [...]
The Giving Season: Six Tips for Making Smart and Effective Charitable Donations This Holiday Season The holidays are a popular time for charitable donations. With so many charities to choose from, it's more important than ever to ensure that your donation is well spent. Here are six tips that can help you make smart and [...]
The Markets (as of market close December 16, 2016) The fallout from the increase in the federal funds rate saw bond yields rise, with the yield on 10-year Treasuries hitting a 2-year high. Bond prices tend to fall (and yields rise) when interest rates increase. Lender rates from financial institutions are also expected to climb, [...]
The Markets (as of market close December 9, 2016) Following a week of tepid movement in the major stock market indexes, equities picked up the pace last week, reaching new record highs. Growth in financial company and bank stocks led the way as both the large-cap Dow and S&P 500 rose over 3.0%. Some analysts [...]
The Markets (as of market close November 30, 2016) The economy picked up the pace in November, as did the stock market. After getting off to a sluggish start during the early part of the month, equities soared following the results of the presidential election. Each of the indexes listed here reached record highs during [...]
