Wall Street enjoyed another solid week of gains on the heels of some strong corporate earnings data, a better-than-expected jobs report, and more signs that the White House and China may be open to trade talks. By the close of trading last Friday, the Dow had posted 10 straight sessions of gains, while the S&P […]
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Borrowers in Default on Federal Student Loans Face Imminent Collection Efforts
On April 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans starting May 5, 2025. The federal government hasn’t collected on defaulted loans since March 2020. Here is some background followed by answers to questions about the new policy. A history of payment pauses and court […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close April 25, 2025)
Wall Street enjoyed a solid week of gains as investors were encouraged by signs of progress in the U.S.-China trade dispute. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here moved higher, driven by gains in AI megacaps and some blue-chip stocks. First-quarter earnings season is in full swing. Of the 180 S&P 500 companies reporting so […]
Read MoreREAL ID Deadline Fast Approaching
After years of numerous delays, the REAL ID enforcement deadline is scheduled for May 7, 2025.1 What is a REAL ID? A REAL ID is a type of enhanced identification card that is signified by a star marking in the upper top portion of the card. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close April 17, 2025)
Stocks ended an abbreviated week of trading with mixed results as the U.S. markets closed a day early in observance of Good Friday. Throughout the week, investors weighed trade talks, interest rate uncertainty, and concerns of a global economic retreat. Big tech shares began the week on a positive note as investors hoped a temporary […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close April 11, 2025)
A late-week rally helped push stocks higher to close a turbulent week on a favorable note. Last week began with stocks mixed as investors tried to gauge President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policy. Ten-year Treasury yields jumped nearly 20 basis points to 4.20% last Monday, rebounding from the previous week’s six-month low. Stocks retreated last […]
Read MoreInfographic: Ranking the World’s 20 Largest Economies
This graphic ranks countries by their forecasted gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 and compares their inflation-adjusted growth since 2015. All figures are in 2025 dollars. Growth highlights over the past decade Ten years ago, economists predicted that China would overtake the U.S. as the world’s top economy. However, a pandemic slowdown and malaise in […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close April 4, 2025)
Wall Street endured its worst week since the Covid crisis as investors shunned risk in response to inflation and recession fears following President Trump’s sweeping tariffs and China’s immediate retaliatory response. Despite a better-than-expected jobs report, comments made last Friday by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell who indicated that the economy was in a good […]
Read MoreRoll Over the Remaining Interest of an Inherited IRA or Retirement Plan
What is it? If your spouse dies and you are a primary beneficiary of their traditional IRA or retirement plan account, you may be able to roll over the inherited funds to your own traditional IRA or plan account. This is generally true even if your deceased spouse had begun taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close March 28, 2025)
Despite getting off to a good start, stocks wavered throughout much of last week, ultimately closing lower. Each of the benchmark indexes lost ground, with the S&P 500 finishing the week lower for the fifth time in the last six weeks after reaching record highs in mid-February. Several negative factors weighed on investors, including hotter-than-expected […]
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