A robust employee benefits package can help employees feel happier, healthier, and more supported at work. It can also help employers attract and retain employees. In fact, 85% of employers say they see a positive impact on employee satisfaction because of their employee benefits program.1 Your employer’s open enrollment season is your chance to evaluate […]
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Inflation and Market Volatility Pressure Stocks as Energy Prices Rise
Wall Street experienced a week marked by volatility, with big tech and AI stocks faltering after carrying the market for much of the year. Concerns about overvaluations drove investors from semiconductor and AI shares. The latest inflationary data showed prices moving higher, particularly energy and gasoline. Consumer staples, health care, and energy led the market […]
Read MoreAre You Ready for Medicare Open Enrollment Season?
Medicare’s Open Enrollment period begins on October 15 and runs through December 7. If you are covered by Medicare, it’s time to compare your current coverage with other available options. Medicare plans can change every year, and you may want to switch to a health or prescription drug plan that better suits your needs or […]
Read MoreStock Market Gains as Investors Weigh Inflation and Earnings
A strong finish on Friday helped U.S. equities close last week on a positive note. Despite the end-of-week rally, stocks experienced significant volatility as investors swayed between optimism over potentially strong corporate earnings versus concerns over elevated Treasury yields and sticky inflation. Nevertheless, benchmark indexes posted notable gains, with the NASDAQ notching its fourth consecutive […]
Read MoreLabor Market Weakness Creates Uncertainty for Investors
Wall Street saw an uptick in volatility last week, resulting in a mixed performance among the major market indexes, despite a Friday rally that reduced the week’s losses. Investors weighed pressure from high Treasury yields and concerns about inflation against optimism that a weakening labor market might forestall another Federal Reserve rate increase. Once again, […]
Read MoreSandwich Generation: Balancing Family and Financial Needs
At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses while at the same time looking after the needs of your aging parents. Squeezed in the middle, you’ve joined the […]
Read MoreFederal Reserve Policy Tightening Keeps Markets on Edge
Stocks closed last week generally higher as tech and AI shares attracted investors, while Treasury yields continued to rise as a notable sell-off pulled bond prices lower. This result is likely due to traders trying to balance strong corporate earnings and solid economic momentum with stubborn inflation and the likelihood of additional Federal Reserve policy […]
Read MoreTreasury Yields Rise as Fed Raises Interest Rates
Last week marked the first adjustment in interest rates in the last three years as investors spent the latter part of the week trying to figure out the implications of monetary tightening, rising Treasury yields, persistent inflation, and advancing crude oil prices. By week’s end, tech stocks showed resilience while large caps ticked lower. Ten-year […]
Read MoreGhost Tapping Scam: How to Protect Your Money
As more people use tap-to-pay technology for everyday purchases, scammers have found a new way to exploit that technology in the form of ghost tapping. And while ghost tapping sounds like something out of a scary movie, it’s a scam that can have very real consequences. Tap-to-pay technology is designed to make payments quick and […]
Read MoreTreasury Yields Climb as Inflation and Rate Concerns Grow
Despite strong returns last Friday, it was not enough to offset losses accumulated earlier in the week. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed the holiday-shortened week in the red as investors tried to reconcile rising energy prices, increasing inflation, climbing Treasury yields, and the increasing likelihood of an interest rate hike by the […]
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