Understanding the Impact of the Government Shutdown Rating agency Standard and Poor’s estimates the overall impact from the partial government shutdown could shave a modest $1.2 billion off the $19 trillion U.S. economy for each week the...
Read moreKeep Calm and Carry On
Keep Calm and Carry On The one certainty of investing is that your portfolio will experience volatility. The recent market turbulence is not as abnormal as headlines would have you believe. In fact, markets have returned to a more normal level of...
Read moreWhat Does a Yield Curve Have to Do with a Recession?
What Does a Yield Curve Have to Do with a Recession? The yield curve – and a potential inversion in the yield curve – has been the subject of much concern in the markets recently and caused a sharp sell-off this past Tuesday. An inverted yield...
Read moreWhat’s Next for International Stocks?
What’s Next for International Stocks? After outperforming in 2017, international equities have lagged domestic equities significantly in 2018. Many investors are now wondering if they should continue to hang on to international stocks in...
Read moreHarvesting Season for Tax Savings
Harvesting Season for Tax Savings Using investment losses to offset taxes on gains – a strategy known as tax-loss harvesting – can be an effective way for investors to potentially reduce their tax liability. By minimizing their investment-related...
Read moreMarket Correction vs. Bear Market
Market Correction vs. Bear Market October 2018 was a spooky month. The S&P 500 Index once again entered correction territory as it declined -10% from its peak during the summer. The continued pattern of declines again raises the question: Is...
Read moreMarkets Panic – Should You?
Markets Panic – Should You? U.S. stocks are off to a rough start in the fourth quarter, with both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow) erasing year-to-date gains through October 24. Meanwhile, the technology-heavy...
Read moreWhat’s Next for Tax Reform?
What’s Next for Tax Reform? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) permanently cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. While corporate tax rates were made permanent in the TCJA, tax code changes for individuals and small businesses...
Read moreWhy Isn’t My Portfolio Keeping up with the Stock Market?
Why Isn’t My Portfolio Keeping up with the Stock Market? As the S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) reached record highs through the third quarter of this year, many investors are asking: “Why isn’t my portfolio...
Read moreInternational Stocks – Opportunity or Landmine?
International Stocks – Opportunity or Landmine? International stock markets were the star in 2017 and outperformed the U.S. stock markets. However, 2018 paints a very different picture for international equities. Both developed equity...
Read moreTariffs Schmariffs?
Tariffs Schmariffs? Once again tariffs and trade wars dominated the headlines. This week, the trade war between the United States and China escalated with the imposition of additional tariffs on more than $260 billion of goods. The domestic...
Read moreU.S. the World’s #1 Oil Producer
U.S. the World’s #1 Oil Producer The United States is likely the world’s largest producer of crude oil, according to preliminary estimates by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released this week. The Lone Star State of Texas is...
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