After another week of strong economic data, investors seemed to accept that the Fed may not be done lifting interest rates after all — and that Wall Street might have started celebrating the end of the rate-hike cycle too soon. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here dropped more than 2% by the end of […]
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The Markets (as of market close August 11, 2023)
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq fell for the second straight week, while the Dow outperformed the benchmark indexes listed here. Stocks have been relatively soft so far in August, which is not out of the ordinary. A slightly hotter-than-expected uptick in producer prices (see below) likely pushed Treasury yields higher, while cooling mega-cap growth […]
Read MoreWhy Did Retirement Confidence Falter in 2023?
In its annual Retirement Confidence Survey of current workers and retirees, the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that workers’ confidence in their ability to fund retirement fell by the largest extent since the financial crisis of 2008, to levels not seen since 2018. Retirees’ confidence also took a substantial hit. Overall, just 20% of respondents […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close August 4, 2023)
Stocks endured a losing week for the first time since early July. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq suffering the steepest weekly declines since March. Investors dealt with the downgrade of the U.S. government’s credit rating and evidence that job growth may be slowing (see […]
Read MoreWhat’s Happening in the World of Higher Education?
A 2023 survey revealed a notable shift in public opinion over the past decade about the value of a college degree: 56% of Americans think a four-year college degree isn’t worth the cost due to students graduating with significant debt and a lack of specific job skills vs. 42% who believe college is worth it. […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close July 28, 2023)
Stocks enjoyed a favorable week of returns, with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting solid gains. The Dow and the S&P 500 notched their third straight week of gains. Inflation continued to cool in June, with the smallest 12-month rate increase since March 2021 (see below). So far, corporate earnings for the second […]
Read MoreRMD Relief and Guidance for 2023
In early 2022, the IRS issued proposed regulations regarding required minimum distributions (RMDs) to reflect changes made by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. The IRS has held off on releasing final regulations so that it can address additional changes to RMDs made by the SECURE 2.0 Act of […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close July 21, 2023)
Last week saw stocks close generally higher, with only the tech-heavy Nasdaq slipping lower. The Dow extended its winning streak to 10 straight sessions, its longest run since August 2017. Investors, probably anticipating another 25.0 basis-point hike from the Federal Reserve this week, moved from information technology, communication services, and consumer discretionary shares to more […]
Read More2024 Key Numbers for Health Savings Accounts
The IRS recently released the 2024 contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), as well as the 2024 minimum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket amounts for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). What is an HSA? An HSA is a tax-advantaged account that enables you to save money to cover health-care and medical costs that your insurance doesn’t […]
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close July 14, 2023)
Wall Street enjoyed a positive week of returns, with each of the benchmark indexes posting solid gains, despite a marginal downturn at the end of last week. The financial sector began releasing quarterly updates last Friday as investors focused on the state of the banking industry. A few major banks reported increasing profits in the […]
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