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<\/p>\nThere\u2019s enough going on to make your head spin!\u00a0 The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg, TikTok, continuing Covid-19 issues, the economic recovery, stimulus battle, Federal Reserve alteration, the election, and of course politics!!!!\u00a0 Certainly, enough to increase market volatility!<\/p>\n
First and foremost, we should honor the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.\u00a0 I took a little time over the weekend to do some reading on her life.\u00a0 I hope you have, or will do the same. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, I hope you can appreciate the dedication, contributions, and overall service to our country. <\/p>\n
Last week resulted in a mixed stock market with the Dow down slightly (.01%), the S&P 500 down (.60%) and the Nasdaq off (.53%).\u00a0\u00a0 To the upside, we witnessed the Russell 2K Small Cap index rising 2.68%, foreign developed stocks and emerging markets to the plus side.<\/p>\n
Federal Reserve Meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n The Federal Reserve suggested rates will stay low for 3 more years, and they\u2019ll let inflation run higher than 2% for a while (when it gets there), to smooth out the average of 2%.\u00a0\u00a0 I certainly believe the Fed should not be moving rates now, however I question the long-term forecast of remaining idle for 3 years.<\/p>\n I did enjoy seeing my high yield savings account pay 2% for a while.\u00a0 It\u2019s now down to .60%.<\/p>\n I wonder how long it will take to get back to 2?<\/p>\n Economic Recovery Scorecard<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s where we stand on our recovery.\u00a0 This data is from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.\u00a0 All data is from August 2020, except consumer spending, which is from July 2020.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve come a long way back in a short period of time, however the pace of improvement in each category has slowed significantly.\u00a0 \u00a0Guessing the $1200 checks and the additional stimulus did<\/em> help.\u00a0 Will we get another round of stimulus prior to the election or after?\u00a0 Is it necessary?<\/p>\n Any further stimulus should be more targeted to the areas that have not recovered, which will be challenging to negotiate!<\/p>\n United States Debt<\/strong><\/p>\n $$$ US Public Debt as of the end of June 2020, totaled $26.5 Trillion.\u00a0 So, who owns it?\u00a0 The popular belief is that China owns the most!<\/p>\n Besides US investors, the 2 largest holders of our Public Debt are Japan, owning 5% and China which owns 4%.\u00a0 The total of US Debt owned by foreign holders is about 27%, or $7 Trillion.<\/p>\n One thing for sure, in the short-term that debt is going higher!<\/p>\n Paul’s Latest E-Book is Live! <\/strong><\/p>\n 10 Retirement Readiness Decisions![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.retirementrefined.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Table_Blog-1.png\")
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\n<\/strong><\/em>By Paul Levin <\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.retirementrefined.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Ebook.png\")
<\/a>10 Important Retirement Readiness Decisions is a guide to the topics that must be addressed to ensure you\u2019ll feel comfortable and confident as you approach and proceed through retirement. Some topics require true, honest reflection, and some need factual information personalized to your situation. We encourage you to download your no-cost copy, & be sure to let us know your thoughts!<\/p>\n