The Markets (as of market close September 30, 2016) Last week equities started off well enough, still feeding off the Fed's decision to leave interest rates alone for the time being. But fear of financial instability for one of the world's largest banks may have prompted many investors to sell, causing the market to tumble [...]
Top Year-End Investment Tips Just what you need, right? One more time-consuming task to be taken care of between now and the end of the year. But taking a little time out from the holiday chores to make some strategic saving and investing decisions before December 31 can affect not only your long-term ability to [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 23, 2016) Buoyed by news from the Fed and the Bank of Japan that measures intended to stimulate the economy would continue — at least in the short term — U.S. stock and bond prices posted gains for the week. While the response last Wednesday and Thursday was [...]
How — and When — Do I Sign Up for Medicare? In most instances, you become eligible for Medicare on the first day of the month you turn age 65. Whether you need to sign up, and how to go about doing so, depends on the type of coverage you select and whether you collect [...]
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage or Invest? Owning a home outright is a dream that many Americans share. Having a mortgage can be a huge burden, and paying it off may be the first item on your financial to-do list. But competing with the desire to own your home free and clear is your [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 16, 2016) Volatility in the markets reigned last week as each of the indexes listed here enjoyed gains early in the week, only to give most of them back by last week's end. The Dow and S&P 500 closed last week only slightly ahead of their respective closing [...]
How to Get a Bigger Social Security Retirement Benefit Many people decide to begin receiving early Social Security retirement benefits. In fact, according to the Social Security Administration, about 72% of retired workers receive benefits prior to their full retirement age. 1 But waiting longer could significantly increase your monthly retirement income, so weigh your [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 9, 2016) Equities indexes rebounded early last week as lackluster economic reports in the labor and manufacturing sectors, coupled with a falling dollar, appear to be fueling speculation that the Fed won't be raising interest rates following its meeting later this month. Energy shares made some positive headway [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 2, 2016) Trading continues to be light heading into the Labor Day weekend. Stocks finished modestly higher for the week, buoyed by last Friday's favorable employment report. Of the indexes listed here, the small-cap Russell 2000 led the charge, gaining 1.11% by last week's end and over 10% [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 31, 2016) With no Federal Open Market Committee meeting and little news to jar the markets, the lazy, hazy days of August seemed to lull investors into a state of lethargy. Trading was light and volatility, limited. Despite the fact that several of the indexes tracked here posted [...]
