Welcome to Inflation Nation January 18, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, Omicron, stocks, supply, Weekly Update The media caterwauling was loud indeed following the week’s consumer price index (CPI) reveal. Prices paid by consumers increased 7.0% year-over-year in December—the highest 12-month inflation rate since June 1982. Strip out food and energy prices, which tend to be more volatile, and costs to consumers rose 5.5%—the most in 30 years. … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Welcome to Inflation Nation January 14, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, Omicron, stocks, supply, Weekly Update The media caterwauling was loud indeed following the week’s consumer price index (CPI) reveal. Prices paid by consumers increased 7.0% year-over-year in December—the highest 12-month inflation rate since June 1982. Strip out food and energy prices, which tend to be more volatile, and costs to consumers rose 5.5%—the most in 30 years. … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Bumpy Beginning to a New Year January 10, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, Omicron, stocks, Weekly Update Well, that was fun while it lasted. Stocks surged out of the gate on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 hitting records to ring in the first trading day of the new year. Then came the midweek release of the Federal Reserve’s minutes from its December meeting, … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Bumpy Beginning to a New Year January 7, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, jobs, Omicron, stocks, supply, Weekly Update Well, that was fun while it lasted. Stocks surged out of the gate on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 hitting records to ring in the first trading day of the new year. Then came the midweek release of the Federal Reserve’s minutes from its December meeting, … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Bond Allocations in a Rising Rate Environment October 28, 2021 Bonds bonds, Cash, fixed-income, interest rates, webinar With rates on the rise and inflation stubbornly high, what’s the appropriate allocation to bonds for your portfolio? What about cash? Here’s what Vice President and Portfolio Manager Steve Johnson said in our recent webinar, Booster Shots, Market Shocks and the End of Fed Intervention:* * * * * … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Steve Johnson on Buying the Dip September 24, 2021 Investing China, coronavirus, interest rates, Investing, video Amid market volatility this week, traders proved willing to buy the dip—a lot of money is still out there capable of driving markets higher. Dig into the data with Vice President Steve Johnson on Today’s Market Takeaway. … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Are REITs Better Than Bonds? June 28, 2021 Bonds bonds, fixed-income, inflation, interest rates, REITs Are REITs Better Than Bonds? This week’s reader question takes us into the realm of income-producing investments: Are REITs a good alternative to bonds in the current market? Are they a safe and solid investment overall? Chris Keith, Senior Vice President, Fixed Income Manager. had this to say: REITs can certainly … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
With Interest Rates Low, Why Bother With Bonds? February 9, 2021 Bonds bonds, fixed-income, interest rates Given low interest rates, have we changed our allocation to bonds among government, corporate, high-yield and international debt? Vice President Steve Johnson spoke about how we’ve positioned our fixed income investments for 2021 in our recent webinar,* A Tale of Two Recoveries: Will Main Street Catch Up With … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Where Are Interest Rates Headed Through Year-End? November 19, 2019 Economy & the Markets economy, interest rates, stock market Interest rates—along with economic data and earnings reports—are one of the three key factors that actually matter when it comes to where the market may be headed. Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell and Vice President Charlie Toole discuss their expectations for the direction of interest rates, inflation and the bond market for … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
What’s Your Short-Term Outlook for the Bond Market? August 19, 2019 Bonds economy, interest rates With Federal Reserve decisions front and center in the financial press, we continue to pay close attention to their impact on the bond market. Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell and Vice President Steve Johnson shared their perspectives on how these policy decisions affect fixed-income investors in our recent quarterly webinar: Tariffs, … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
How Do I Protect Gains During Market Corrections? August 15, 2019 Investing interest rates, stock market We often hear from clients who want to know how their hard-earned investment gains will withstand market corrections. Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell and Equity Research Analyst Kate Austin discussed this topic in our recent quarterly webinar*: Tariffs, Trade and Trump. Please enjoy the excerpt below and click … Read More keyboard_arrow_right
Know Your Number to Prepare for a Bear Market June 27, 2019 Investing economy, interest rates, market timing, stock market The stock market hit new highs this month. Yet many investors remain undeniably gloomy. Economic expansions and bull markets don’t die of old age. (Just ask any Australian under the age of 28; that country hasn’t seen a recession since 1991.) But with the bull market plowing through its tenth year, … Read More keyboard_arrow_right