The S&P 500 index was up for the fourth week in a row, closing +0.61% for the week and +3.70% for the four weeks combined. The gains have been supported by good earnings and revenue growth even though these have been accompanied by cautious guidance due to the uncertainty over the near-term effects of trade […]
Read MoreMonth: July 2018
Five Traps for Amateur Trustees to Avoid
An item in Barron’s a few years ago by Lauren Foster demonstrates that being a trustee may be harder than some people expect (“The Five Biggest Ways to Bungle a Trust,” May 21, 2011). Foster’s observations are must reading for anyone who expects to be a trustee, or who has nominated a family member to […]
Read MoreSummer Doldrums
Earnings season is in full swing and reports to date confirm full year earnings for the S&P 500 will be nearly $160 which places the PE for the index at 17.5. This week will be the heaviest in the earnings reporting season. Traders will be looking at management guidance which has so far been reassuring. […]
Read MoreRequired Minimum Distributions
The best way to prepare for retirement is to save, early and often. Generally, one should set aside 10% to 15% of one’s income each year. If the habit takes hold early in one’s career, a very meaningful nest egg should be the result. Saving is easier when there is a tax deduction for it, […]
Read MoreMarket Signals
Short-term Treasury yields moved higher last week as the 2-year rose 4 basis points to 2.58%. The 10-year rose early but was off late in the week to finish flat 2.83%. Although the 2 year/10-year spread narrowed to 25 basis points, a level not seen since August 2007, renewed concerns about inversion, a signal of […]
Read MorePlanning for a Long Life
Not many years ago, the typical retirement age, 65, was viewed as the onset of old age. Today, gerontologists define matters differently: If you’re between the ages of 65 and 74, you are one of the “young-old.” To be considered “old”, you need to be in the 75-to-84 age bracket. After that, you’re known, demographically, […]
Read MoreStocks Signal Trade Dispute Not War
Tariffs, first announced in March, were levied last week and reporters announced the beginning of a U.S. trade war. U.S. stock indexes, however, shrugged off the noise. The S&P 500 finished the week up 1.52% and cooler heads are talking of a trade dispute, refusing to elevate the latest tariff announcements to the level of […]
Read MoreBeware of Financial Fraud, aka “Phishing”
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), formerly the National Association of Security Dealers, continues to warn investors and consumers about “phishing,” a scam that uses spam e-mail to lure investors into revealing account information, passwords or PINs, or other types of confidential information. Often the e-mails falsely claim to be from service providers that investors […]
Read MoreDo I Need a Fiduciary? (Part VI)
Planning does not get easier in the distribution phases of a plan. There is not sufficient room in this brief to cover all of the issues involved. Step #6 points to just a few of the planning issues in a very broad way. The details in a personal financial plan can best be addressed by […]
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