Planning for Retirement: Medicare, Medicaid and Long-Term Care
Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research with our partners at Carson Group, put together an on-demand webinar to help you start thinking about these foundational pieces of retirement. Click Here to Watch the Webinar
Market Commentary: S&P Climbs Despite Surge in COVID-19 Cases
Stocks continued to climb in the face of an increasing number of new COVID-19 cases and evidence the surge is stifling the economy’s ability to recover. Initial unemployment claims dipped to 1.3 million, but they have remained above 1 million for 16 consecutive weeks.
Market Commentary: Markets See Huge Boost as Optimism Outweighs Slowed Reopening
The S&P 500 wrapped up its best quarter since 1998, gaining 20.5%, amid a strong employment report and continued concerns as the United States and the world posted a record number of coronavirus cases.
Paying Off Debt: As You Work Toward Debt Freedom, is the Snowball or Avalanche Method Right for You?
Debt consolidation and repayment takes up a lot of America’s bandwidth. You can’t watch TV, especially daytime TV, without seeing at least one advertisement promising you freedom from debt – call now! These gimmicks are hit-and-usually-miss, but the sheer ubiquity of this conversation tells …
Market Commentary: S&P 500 Dips as COVID-19 Cases Surge
The daily total for new virus cases topped 40,000 as a resurgence in the South and Southwest pushed new cases to an all-time-record high. Some states are reporting record hospitalizations and pausing or reversing reopenings. Initial unemployment claims, as shown in Figure 1, remain close to …
Market Commentary: Retail Sales Jump as States Loosen Restrictions
Retail sales and food services jumped 17.7% in May, beating estimates of 8% growth. The strong rebound follows sharp declines the previous month created by social distancing. Even with the increase, sales are still 6.1% below where they were one year ago.
Market Commentary: Fed Committed to Near-Zero Rates, S&P Dips
The S&P 500 dropped 4.7% last week on concerns the uptick in new coronavirus cases would persist and slow the economic rally. The surprising job growth reported two weeks ago suggested the economy was rallying more quickly than expected and boosted investor optimism. But the recent upti …
Market Commentary: Record Month of New Jobs, S&P 500 Continues Rise
The jobs market rallied back far sooner and stronger than expected. The U.S. economy created 2.5 million new jobs in May. Economists had projected a loss of 7 million jobs, so the surprise was massive. The gains are mainly attributable to workers who were temporarily laid off being called b …
How to Put the Hard Financial Lessons of Quarantine to Work for You
Wait – gas cost how much?! This is a question we may ask our parents or hear from our kids with some incredulity. This intergenerational conversation has a humorous side: gas was a quarter a gallon – how? You must have filled up everyday!
Market Commentary: S&P Climbs Despite Record Decline in Consumer Spending
Coronavirus actions and reactions continued to swing economic data in the U.S. Consumer spending dropped 13.6% in April. It was the sharpest decline on record dating back to 1959. Income moved in the other direction last month.
