About 70% of U.S. private-sector workers have the option to contribute to a retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b) plan provided by an employer. Unfortunately, many of them don’t take full advantage of this tax-friendly opportunity to save for the future.1 The SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 Act (federal legislation passed in […]
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The Markets (as of market close November 29, 2024)
Thanksgiving week proved to be a positive one for stocks. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed higher, led by the Dow and the Russell 2000. Financials, consumer staples, and industrials led the market sectors, with only energy and communication services declining. Yields on 10-year Treasuries fell for the second consecutive week. Crude oil […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close November 22, 2024)
Wall Street enjoyed a solid week of gains, rebounding from the prior week’s losses. Each of the benchmark indexes climbed higher, led by the small caps of the Russell 2000, as investors moved from mega caps to cyclical stocks, which are influenced largely by the economy. Communication services was the only market sector to close […]
Read MoreCollege Costs for 2024-2025 March Higher
Every year, the College Board releases new college cost data and trends in its annual report. The figures published are average costs for public in-state, public out-of-state, and private colleges based on a survey of approximately 4,000 colleges across the country. Over the past 20 years, average costs for tuition, fees, housing, and food has […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close November 15, 2024)
Last week saw stocks close markedly lower as investors were discouraged by hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who put a damper on the likelihood of another interest rate decrease this year. Among the market sectors, energy, financials, and utilities closed the week higher, while the remaining sectors ended the week in the […]
Read MoreHigh Foreign Investment in the United States
According to data from the International Monetary Fund, the United States received almost one-third of all global foreign investment from 2021 to 2023. This compares with an average of just 18% before the pandemic. The dramatic increase is even more remarkable considering widespread concern about the dominance of the U.S. dollar as a global currency.1 […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close November 8, 2024)
Investors had plenty to think about last week as they focused on the results of the presidential election and the Federal Reserve’s move to further reduce interest rates (see below). Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed up by the end of the week, with consumer discretionary, information technology, and financials outperforming. Bond prices […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close November 1, 2024)
Wall Street saw stocks end October with a whimper, although equities began November on a high note. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed last week lower, except the Russell 2000. A surprisingly weak jobs report (see below) at the end of the week was offset by solid earnings reports from a couple of […]
Read MoreZombie Debt: Is It Coming for You?
Zombie debt is old and often expired debt that could be revived after being purchased by a collection agency for pennies on the dollar — or less. These “debt scavengers” have plenty of incentive to cast a wide net and take aggressive steps to collect even a small portion of the original debt. If you […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close October 25, 2024)
Tech shares helped the NASDAQ close up last week. The remaining indexes listed here didn’t fare as well. Renewed concerns about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy dampened investor appetite for risk. Bond prices also faded during the week, driving yields higher. Crude oil prices climbed higher as investors monitored ongoing tensions in the Middle […]
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