The Federal Reserve (Fed) meets this week and in all likelihood will raise short-term interest rates for the first time since emergency levels of monetary accommodation were provided to markets after the COVID-19 shutdowns. Inflationary pressures are running higher than the central bankers are comfortable with, but the conflict in Eastern Europe adds to the […]
FROM ONE RISK TO ANOTHER The U.S. economy grew 5.7% in 2021, exhibiting strength after an unprecedented global pandemic, but as the economy marched into 2022, the COVID-19 Omicron variant squelched some of the rebound in economic activity. Most saw this headwind to be temporary and mostly affecting the first quarter estimates. The LPL growth […]
Dear Valued Investor, The green shoots are hard to see right now as spring approaches, clouded by war in Ukraine. Democracy is under attack and innocent lives are tragically being lost. But while we keep one eye on overseas developments, the other remains squarely focused on the fundamentals of the U.S. economy and the stock […]
U.S. and International Equities Most Markets Lower Firstly, our thoughts go out to those impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and we hope the conflict end’s quickly. This week, U.S. major equity markets finished higher with the exception of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Clearly the Russia-Ukraine conflict has added to the previously existing monetary […]
Are you one of the many American consumers currently asking yourself, “How can I better control my use of credit?” Consumer debt in the United States totals in the billions. Much of this debt belongs to consumers who use credit wisely, but a considerable amount is owed by people whose credit obligations have gotten out […]
As more and more consumers search for financial information on the Internet, they may inadvertently leave themselves open to being “tracked” by certain companies and individuals. Visitors to financial websites have created a large mass of information that is, in some cases, hardly private. Many marketing companies routinely employ software programs designed to identify you […]
Recruiting and retaining employees who are both qualified and motivated is an ongoing challenge for most businesses. One way to build staff loyalty and increase productivity is to put policies in place to help your employees balance their commitments at work and at home. Employees who have the time they need to care for children […]
One of the more important—and hopefully enjoyable—events you will face in life is retirement. After spending many years building your career, you have likely accumulated a comfortable nest egg. If you have reached a point where retirement is the next big step, you need to develop a strategy that will help you cross the bridge […]
Dear Clients, Stocks have gotten off to a very rocky start in 2022, with the potential for Federal Reserve rate hikes coming and the geopolitical worries over Russia and Ukraine only adding to the uncertainty. We don’t want to minimize the impact of that major geopolitical event, but there is some positive news out there, […]
U.S. and International Equities U.S. Markets Lower The U.S. major equity markets finished lower for the second straight week. With roughly 85% of S&P 500 companies having reported, fourth quarter earnings growth for the index is tracking to a 31.4% year-over-year increase, yet stocks tracked lower amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine. […]
