How to Invest Creatively in Your Fall Vacation this Year
Sneaking away during the lull between peak times – “the shoulder season” – is popular with savvy travelers for reduced crowds, milder weather and usually great deals on travel packages.
Market Commentary: Higher Inflation Expected in Coming Years, S&P Sees More Gains
The Federal Reserve announced a major policy revision last week. The revised strategy indicates rates will stay low for a long period of time and will increase slower than in past rate cycles. The report and a subsequent speech by Fed Chair Jay Powell indicate the Fed will allow inflation t …
Weekly Market Commentary: The S&P Sets Recovery Records, Housing Market Showing Gains
The S&P 500 continued to march higher, rising 0.8% last week. Excluding dividends, the index of large-cap U.S. stocks reached a new record. Some investors prefer this measure for determining when bear markets end. By almost any measure, the S&P 500 is no longer in a bear market.
Market Commentary: Economic Recovery May Slow After Sharp Early Rebound
U.S. economic data last week supported the view the U.S. is entering a period of slower economic growth after a sharp recovery in May and June. Mandatory and voluntary social distancing efforts limit how quickly the economy can recover when certain segments, such as restaurants, are still s …
Market Commentary: Employment Numbers Beat Expectations as S&P 500 Nears February High
The U.S. economy added 1.8 million jobs in July as hiring momentum in the service sector allowed many workers to reclaim lost jobs or get new ones. The pace of hiring slowed compared to gains of 2.7 million and 4.8 million in May and June. The slowing growth reflects consumer caution as new …
Comparing Traditional Mortgages and Variable-Rate Mortgages in the COVID-19 Economy
Do you know what it was like to buy a house in 1982? You pulled up your Trans Am to the bank where the picture of President Regan hung on the lobby wall and got your checkbook out of your jean jacket. Then you signed up for a 30-year mortgage with a 17% interest rate!
Market Commentary: GDP Substantially Lower than Last Year, S&P Rallies in July
U.S. GDP fell 32.9% last quarter on an annualized basis. It wasn’t as bad as it looks. Annualizing the data magnifies the decline by assuming the trend will continue for a full year. A better assessment can be gained by comparing GDP to the same quarter last year.
Investment Account or Savings Account – What option is best for me?
Investment account or savings account? This is a great question and one I enjoy answering since I began my financial career in banking. It is important for everyone to have accounts with your local financial institution; however, over my 15 years at the bank, I started to understand that it …
Market Commentary: S&P 500 Earnings are Strong, but Initial Unemployment Claims Increase
The increased number of COVID-19 cases appears to be pressuring employment in the U.S. Last week, the number of initial unemployment claims rose from 1.3 million to 1.4 million. (See Figure 1.) After slowly declining for weeks, the uptick shows signs of a weakening job market.
Market Commentary: S&P 500 Positive for the Year as Retail Sales Rise
Evidence for a sharp, although possibly brief, economic recovery continues to mount. As shown in Figure 1, retail sales rebounded another 7.5% in June and are now 1.1% higher than a year ago. Signs of economic reopening showed up throughout the data released last week.
