More consumers are conducting financial transactions online and may become vulnerable to tracking, hacking, identity theft, phishing scams, and other cyberspace risks. While nothing can guarantee complete safety on the Internet, understanding how to protect your privacy can help mitigate your exposure to risk. Here are some ways to help you safeguard your information: Read […]
Category: Blog
September Market Insights – The September Selloff
Index Performance View enlarged chart. U.S. and International Equities September has been the worst performing month over the past 10 and 20 years. Looking at the prior year, the S&P 500 pulled back over 9% from September 2nd to September 23rd. This past month’s market performance was no different as all of the U.S. major market […]
Leading Indicators Show Optimism For Domestic Economy
On Thursday, September 23, the Conference Board released its August 2021 report detailing the latest reading for the Leading Economic Index (LEI), a composite of ten data series that tend to lead changes in economic activity. Many economic data points are backward-looking, but we pay special attention to the LEI, as it has a forward-looking […]
Revisiting Our 10-Year Treasury Yield Forecast
Until recently, we expected the 10-year Treasury yield to end the year between 1.75% and 2.0%. Now, however, there are two key elements suggesting we are unlikely to see significantly higher interest rates by year end: The Delta variant’s impact on economic growth expectations, and the continued demand for U.S. Treasuries by foreign investors. As […]
Five Divorce Settlement Pitfalls to Watch Out for, No Matter How Big the Estate
Bill and Melinda Gates and Settling $140 Billion estate Attorneys say that if both you and your ex-spouse feel like you came out of your divorce thinking you gave up a lot, your settlement was probably fair. Maybe, but often your settlement’s results appear only after you live with them for a while. Here are […]
The Financial Planning Process: Why and How
Planning personal finances used to be the worry of the wealthy and their worry—usually preservation of wealth—was attended to by teams of trust officers and lawyers. Many of today’s middle class families have different concerns: funding retirement; educating children; protecting assets; and coping with unexpected changes in health, employment, and marital situations. But, whether your […]
Main Street Sentiment Remains Strong Despite Risks from Speedy Recovery
According to LPL Research’s analysis of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) recently released Beige Book, business sentiment on Main Street has declined in recent months as the economy navigates the latest wave of COVID-19, but nevertheless remains elevated as business leaders look past current obstacles. Still, COVID-19 related business challenges persist. While price increases are starting […]
Life Insurance and Divorce
Protecting Your Family’s Future Sometimes in life, things don’t work out as planned. One of the most trying examples is when a couple decides they can’t make their marriage work and, subsequently, files for divorce. Divorce can take a significant financial and emotional toll on a couple, their children, and other family members. In the […]
Global Monetary Policy and What Likely Comes Next
The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented shock to a large majority of global economies. But the economic damage was met with an extraordinary global monetary response with the Federal Reserve (Fed), European Central Bank (ECB), the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and the Bank of England (BOE) all providing emergency levels of monetary accommodation. As seen […]
Personal Money Management
Help Your College Student “Make the Grade” As Melanie Marshall (a hypothetical case) prepares to head off to college, she’s looking forward to her newfound independence. Although Melanie will be on her own for the first time, her parents, Joan and Al, can at least rest assured they’ve schooled her well in handling her personal […]