The unemployment rate edged down to 3.9 percent in April, the lowest level since December 2000. To put that into perspective, the top song in the U.S. that month was “Independent Woman, Pt 1” by Destiny’s Child, long before Beyoncé Knowles was known as “Queen Bey” or had a “Beyhive” with millions of followers! But I digress. According to the New York Times, “In the last 60 years, there has been only one sustained period where unemployment stayed below 4 percent: the late 1960s.”
Read MoreWhat happened to the tax cut bump to economic growth? After expanding by a brisk 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of last year and the 3.3 percent rate in the third quarter, the economy decelerated a bit in the first quarter to an annualized pace of 2.3 percent, consistent with good, not great growth.
Read MoreI have a confession: I’m rooting for a recession -- and a bear market. Of course I don’t want people to suffer, but the longer both the expansion and bull market continue, the more we tend to forget that they can actually end, leading some to make poor financial decisions.
Read MoreApril is Financial Literacy Month, a perfect time to answer your questions about the murky world of “Alternative Investments.” These vehicles fall outside of the more commonly utilized individual stocks, bonds, mutual and exchange-traded funds. In general, they are used by large institutions, like pension funds, endowments, foundations and wealthy (“accredited”) individuals.
Read MoreSyria! Tariffs! Mueller Investigation! Facebook under Fire! Corporate Earnings! All of these headlines have moved markets over the few weeks, leaving investors whipsawed and exhausted. If you’re keeping score, the Dow and S&P 500 are down slightly on the year (-1.5 percent and -0.7 percent, respectively), while the Russell 2000 and NASDAQ Composite are up (+0.9 percent and +3 percent, respectively).
Read MoreYour 2017 taxes are done. Congratulations! But you’re not done yet. (Sorry) While you have all your tax forms and documents handy, this is the perfect time to analyze last year’s finances and use those insights to prepare for the big changes that will occur in 2018 and beyond. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start planning that summer vacation!
Read MoreWith Tax Day (April 17) rapidly approaching, here are some last minute tax prep tips to help get you to the finish line!
Read MoreJust as fast as you could say Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 the U.S. - China tariff tiff entered Round 3 last week. As a recap, here’s where we stand:
Read MoreIt’s time to drop an F-Bomb: let’s talk FIDUCIARY! The big news this spring is that the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. has announced a change to its Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. Starting October 1, 2019, CFP® professionals must act in the best interest of the client at all times when providing financial advice. This is the so-called fiduciary standard, which has been in the news ever since the Department of Labor (“DOL”) created its own rule in 2016.
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