The annual change in the Consumer Price Index “CPI” exceeded more than 5% for the second month in a row, raising concern that we may be entering an inflationary period. How concerned should investors be? Before we get into that, we should begin with a short primer on what inflation is. Inflation refers to an…
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A question we have been asked repeatedly over the last six months has been: what is the best strategy to get into the market with new money? Invest all of it at once? Or invest in smaller increments over time through dollar-cost averaging? The most important thing to keep in mind is that the decision…
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As we approach the end of the year, it is prudent to review your situation and make sure that you have taken advantage of all that you can from a financial planning standpoint before December 31st, as well as be sure you are positioned well for the year ahead. With that in mind, here are…
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With election time now getting closer, we are inundated with opinions and prognostications about not only who will win but what that victory will mean for the markets. When you couple the uncertainties of the election with the other trials facing our country including, but not limited to, high unemployment, the economic and personal consequences…
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The terms “stock market” and “economy” are often used interchangeably, but they are not one in the same. Perhaps this has never been more evident than over the past several months. The state of the economy, according to most measures, is bleak, with economic activity contracting, an unemployment rate of more than 10%, and an…
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After a surprisingly strong year for stocks in 2019, the new decade got off to a rough start for investors with one of the most abrupt and rapid stock market declines on record. In just 5 weeks, the S&P 500 declined by more than 33%. Overall, U.S. stocks ended the quarter down about 20%, while…
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Global markets closed on Monday approximately 30% off of the highs reached just one month ago. The sell-off has been dramatic and breathtakingly swift. We have been getting some great questions from clients, so we thought we might share some of them along with our thoughts in the following Q&A. We hope you find it…
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Fueled by fears related to the Coronavirus and compounded by a drop in oil prices, the US stock market has exhibited extreme volatility over the past several weeks. While double digit corrections are not unusual, this has been an historically abrupt decline. When you hear about stock market risk, this is it. It is the…
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After a down year in 2018, the outlook for stocks in 2019 was not positive. The markets had experienced an abrupt decline in the last quarter of 2018, and many thought the bull market that had begun in March of 2009 was coming to an end. But those who stayed invested were rewarded with a…
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As the markets continue to move up and down and as the media continues to have a field day playing with our emotions, it is no wonder that many investors find themselves questioning what lies ahead. While no one can predict what the markets will do or how people will react to the news of…
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