The Trust Company of Kansas

Treasury Yields Rise: What Higher Rates Could Mean

A sell-off in U.S. Treasury bonds has pushed longer-term yields sharply higher, with repercussions that could ripple across the economy. On September 1, 2026, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which had dipped below 4.0% in February, had risen to nearly 4.8%, the highest level since early 2025. The 30-year Treasury yield hovered around […]

August Jobs Report Sends Mixed Signals to Markets

Most of the major market indexes closed the week moderately higher, despite a late-week pullback. Investors had to weigh strong corporate earnings and economic resilience against concerns that the Federal Reserve may hike interest rates later this month following the unexpectedly robust jobs report (see below). Market sectors were mixed, with energy and communication services […]

401(k) Retirement Plan: 5 Steps to Get on Track

Each year following Labor Day, the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) observes 401(k) Day to remind workers of the benefits of saving and investing through a 401(k) plan and to provide employers with related educational resources. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the observance. The 2026 theme is “Never Too Little, Never Too […]

Federal Reserve Holds Firm as Markets End August Higher

Major U.S. stocks ended the last full week of trading in August modestly higher. Strong AI company earnings boosted tech shares, while the war with Iran, persistent inflation, and a more hawkish Federal Reserve dampened investor enthusiasm for risk. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, in his speech at the Jackson Hole Summit, noted that while […]

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Expands Housing Opportunities

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a new bipartisan federal law that is designed to expand housing options for Americans across the country. Here is a summary of the major goals and provisions. Building more homes Certain approval processes will be streamlined to help speed up housing construction. The law also encourages the […]

Stocks Pull Back as Treasury Yields and Oil Prices Rise

The benchmark indexes closed lower last week, snapping a multi-week winning streak. Despite a rally last Friday, stocks retreated in response to elevated Treasury yields, rising crude oil prices, mixed corporate earnings, and weakness in key tech and mega-cap shares. Among the market sectors, only health care, materials, and energy closed the week higher. Bonds […]

IRS Mileage Rate Increase Takes Effect for Second Half of 2026

In an unusual mid-year action, the Internal Revenue Service has announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expense purposes for the second half of 2026. This change was announced in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-29. The mid-year change was attributed […]

Stocks Rise as Cooling Inflation Boosts Market Optimism

The stock market closed generally higher last week, despite a minor setback last Friday. Market momentum was driven by cooling inflation data (see below), solid Q2 corporate earnings reports, and strengthening opinions that the Federal Reserve may posture a more dovish approach to interest rates in the near term. The S&P 500 reached an all-time […]

Billions of AGI Shifting to Lower-Tax States

According to the latest IRS Migration Data released in early 2026, a trend in taxpayer relocation is emerging: Taxpayers are leaving states with higher income tax rates and moving to states with lower income tax rates.1 But the migration is about more than just population shifts — billions of dollars in adjusted gross income (AGI) is […]

Stocks Rally as Cooler Jobs Data Eases Rate Concerns

Wall Street ended last week on solid footing, with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting notable weekly gains, capped by a Friday rally. The market was buoyed by strong Q2 corporate earnings results and a cooler-than-expected labor report, which quelled immediate fears of aggressive monetary tightening in the near term. Ten-year Treasuries fell […]