For the second year in a row, interest rates on federal student loans will decrease for the 2020-2021 academic year. This year’s decrease brings rates to record lows. The rates apply to new federal student loans made on or after July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. The interest rate is fixed for the life […]
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Weekly Update as of market close June 12, 2020
Last week began with a bang for stocks as each of the indexes gained well over 1.0% for the day. The S&P 500, after climbing 1.2%, has picked up nearly 45.0% since its 2020 low, pushing it into the black for the year. The Nasdaq rose to a record high while the Dow and Russell […]
Read MoreU.S. Government Sends Millions of Economic Impact Payments by Prepaid Debit Cards
In May 2020, the IRS sent Economic Impact Payment (EIP) prepaid VISA debit cards to individuals who qualified for a stimulus payment under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and didn’t receive a payment via direct deposit. How is the card activated? The Economic Impact Payment Card (EIP Card) arrives in a […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close June 5, 2020
Despite nationwide protests and U.S.-China tensions, stocks rose to start the week. Apparently, investors focused on progress toward economic recovery instead of other pressing issues. Of the benchmarks listed here, the small caps of the Russell 2000 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq led the way, each gaining more than 0.60% by the end of trading last […]
Read MoreTurning Art into Cash without Selling
Auction house Sotheby’s reports a surge in customers who are borrowing using their fine art or jewelry as collateral [www.sothebys.com/en/articles/creating-liquidity-from-art-during-challenging-times]. Many auctions necessarily have been postponed due to the pandemic, although that has been offset to some extent by a record number of online auctions conducted by Sotheby’s. One major reason for such borrowing […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close May 29, 2020
With the stock market closed last Monday in observance of Memorial Day, Tuesday’s trading led to solid returns for each of the benchmark indexes listed here. The S&P 500 climbed past the 3000 mark for the first time since March, only to trickle below by the end of the day. The small caps of the […]
Read More2019 IRA Contribution Deadline Has Been Extended
Due to the coronavirus tax filing extension, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2019. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2019 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on December 31, 2019). For most taxpayers, the contribution deadline for […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close May 22, 2020
The major benchmarks opened the week on a high note, led by the Russell 2000, which gained more than 6.0%. The large caps of the Dow (3.85%) and S&P 500 (3.15%) posted notable gains, as did the Global Dow (3.67%). The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed nearly 2.5%. Investors were buoyed by positive COVID-19 news. Data showed […]
Read MoreRetiree Confidence Drops in 2020, As Some Workers Worry
The Retirement Confidence Survey conducted each year by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) took a slightly different tack in 2020. After completing its initial outreach in January — the 30th in its annual series — EBRI decided to conduct a second survey in late March to gauge how the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close May 15, 2020
Stocks opened the week with mixed returns. The S&P 500 stayed level, the Dow fell by almost half a point, and the Nasdaq finished the day up three-quarters of a percent. Crude oil prices dropped by nearly one percent. Positive news came from New York last Monday as Governor Cuomo indicated some businesses would be […]
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