Securing Your Retirement – January 22, 2020
At the end of 2019, Congress passed the SECURE Act, which makes dramatic changes to the laws that govern retirement accounts. Changes include— The age…
Falling Mortgage Rates Boost Housing – January 21, 2020
Mortgage rates have a big influence on housing. Last year, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate peaked in November, averaging 4.87%. Rising rates throughout much of…
Running of the Bulls – January 15, 2020
Q4 2019’s strong performance has spilled into 2020. Drivers of bullish sentiment include— Recession fears have subsided, and the economy is expanding. The yield curve…
The Middle East, Oil, and U.S. Production – January 13, 2020
In the past, chaos in the Middle East barreled into the price of oil. In August 1990, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait lit a fire under…
Economic Growth Generates Job Growth – January 10, 2020
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payrolls in January increased by a strong 225,000, while the unemployment rate rose to 3.6% from…
An Unexpected Start to 2020 – January 8, 2020
Since October 8, 2019, the S&P 500 Index2 is up nearly 13% through its latest high on January 2 (St. Louis Federal Reserve). That’s an…
A Banner Year, A Banner Decade – January 6, 2020
The decade began under a dark cloud. The U.S. was climbing out of the Great Recession, and many wondered whether the economy might flounder for…
2020 and Interest Rates – January 2, 2020
A year ago, the fed funds rate stood at 2.25-2.50%, and the Fed’s own projections suggested two 0.25 percentage-point rate hikes during 2019. Instead, the…
About That Long-Term Upward Stock Market Bias – December 30, 2019
We know stocks don’t move up in a straight line. Sometimes, it seems as if they take the stairs up and the elevator down. With…
Investor Response to Impeachment: Whatever – December 23, 2019
On Wednesday evening, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrials1, the NASDAQ Composite2, and the S&P 500…