Headwinds Converge
Late September is historically a challenging time for the stock market. This year, no exception as a few headwinds are converging. Last week, the Fed, after pausing on raising rates, issued it’s “dot plot” report. The average of the Fed members opinions concluded the Fed Funds rate will drop to 5.1 by the end of […]
Inflation Lingering?
How much longer do you think “inflation” will be the topic du jour. Covid was the lead topic for what seemed an endless amount of time, and still lingering. Last week the Consumer Price Index month to month increase without food and energy, was reported higher by .3%. Annualized going forward, 3.6%. The CPI with […]
Market Pullback, Orderly
First, I must say, it’s hard to believe it’s been 22 years since 9-11! My emotions snap back immediately! The recent market pull-back has been quite orderly. The S&P 500 is off (3.26%) from its recent 52-week high and now sits (7.5%) below its all-time high. The Nasdaq composite is off (4.75%) from its recent […]
Qualified Charitable Distributions
Support Worthy Causes, Reduce Your Taxable Income Charitable giving can do more than give you a sense of fulfillment for making a difference in people’s lives. It can also play a valuable role in your financial and estate plans. There are several ways to support charitable organizations, such as charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, appreciated […]
September Surprise?
August now in the rear view, attention will turn to what has historically been the worst month of the year for stocks. On the surface, September could very well surprise to the upside. No guarantee of course! Last week’s data is suggesting the Fed could pause and not raise rates at the next Fed meeting […]
August – Good Bye!!
4 more trading days and August will be in the rear-view mirror. The S&P 500 is down (3.74%) for the month. The Nasdaq is off (4.65%) and the Russell 2000 is down (7.49%). The yield on the 10-year US Treasury has risen from approximately 3.9% at the end of July up to 4.23% as of […]
Jackson Hole/Rates and Nvidia
Friday, Jackson Hole Wyoming, Fed Chair Jerome Powell will give his widely anticipated speech on the US economy and where interest rates may be heading. Will the Fed hold tight or continue raising rates? Messaging from Jackson Hole in the past has impacted markets. Let’s see what happens this time……. Bond yields shot higher last […]
August Being August?
Historically, August has not been a great month for the stock market. This August is not bucking that trend. August to date, the S&P 500 has given back (2.51%) and the Nasdaq (4.91%). Perhaps the pullback was precipitated by Fitch’s US Debt downgrade and Moody’s downgrade of several banks last week. I’m thinking the pullback […]
Roth Conversions & Taxes
With our recent US Debt downgrade, I wonder; how are we truly going to deal with the roughly $32 Trillion and the annual interest payments required? If I had the “definitive” answer, perhaps I would go into politics! To reduce our debt, we can either pay it, or default! Seems rather obvious! Default should be […]
