After two years of decreases, interest rates on federal student loans are set to increase almost a full percentage point for the 2021-2022 school year.1 The interest rates on federal student loans are reset each year after the May auction of the 10-year Treasury note. The rates apply to new federal student loans issued on or […]
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Weekly Update as of market close June 18, 2021
Stocks opened the week with mixed returns: The Dow, the Russell 2000, and the Global Dow lost value, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 rose. Tech shares and consumer services closed higher, while financials and materials fell. Anticipating the Federal Open Market Committee meeting later in the week, investors may have been waiting for […]
Read MoreHow Are Workers Preparing for Retirement?
In general, workers seem to begin preparing for retirement almost as soon as they get their first job. However, according to the 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), retirement preparations do vary a bit by age group. Retirement Preparations Nearly three-quarters (72%) of workers say that they or their spouse […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close June 11, 2021
Stocks were mixed last Monday, with the Russell 2000 (1.4%) and the Nasdaq (0.5%) gaining, while the Dow fell 0.4% and the S&P 500 and the Global Dow closed the day essentially unchanged. Treasury yields, crude oil prices, and the dollar fell. Communication services, health care, and real estate advanced, while materials, industrials, and financials […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close June 4, 2021
Stocks were mixed last Tuesday to begin the holiday-shortened week. The Russell 2000 climbed 1.1%, the Global Dow added 0.6%, and the Dow eked out a 0.1% gain. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 each dipped 0.1%. Yields on 10-year Treasuries, the dollar, and crude oil prices advanced. Energy gained nearly 4.0% as the OPEC+ […]
Read MoreShortages and Bottlenecks Expose Weak Links in U.S. Supply Chains
U.S. consumers won’t soon forget the troubling shortages of personal protective equipment during the early days of the pandemic, or when the first stay-at-home orders spurred panic buying and stress-inducing shortages of toilet paper, cleaning products, and food. Now, as the economy reopens fully and all at once, consumers are again experiencing a wide array […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close May 28, 2021
Monday kicked off last week on a high note for stocks. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains, with the Nasdaq advancing 1.4% to lead the way. The S&P 500 gained 1.0%, the Russell 2000 climbed 0.6%, the Dow and the Global Dow each added 0.5%. Information technology and communication services led the […]
Read MoreCrisis Averted? Financial Help for Struggling Renters and Landlords
By one estimate, U.S. landlords were owed about $57 billion in unpaid back rent at the beginning of 2021. The average household that fell behind owed about four months of rent, or $5,600. Altogether, more than 10 million U.S. families were facing the possibility of eviction.1 Many landlords, including those who depend on rent payments […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close May 21, 2021
Stocks began last week mostly lower, pulled down by tech and consumer shares. Of the benchmark indexes listed here, only the Russell 2000 (0.1%) and the Global Dow (0.2%) were able to eke out gains. The Nasdaq dipped 0.4%, followed by the S&P 500, which lost 0.3%, and the Dow, which fell 0.2%. Treasury yields […]
Read MoreRetirement Confidence Remains Strong, Despite Pandemic
Despite the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic, American workers and retirees remain largely optimistic about their financial prospects for retirement. In its annual Retirement Confidence Survey conducted in January 2021, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that 80% of retirees and 72% of workers were either very or somewhat confident in their ability […]
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