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Football is back, which means Summer is coming to a close, days will get shorter, and sweaters will soon be in play. This year, there was no pre-season, so professional football started in September, which coincidentally, is a perennial month for stock market volatility.1 Football follows Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League, in which each organization started seasons (some abbreviated) in the past few months. Some colleges are playing fall…

Some people in recent weeks may have been feeling that “the stock market seems to be doing so well but I’m not participating.” A look behind the headlines helps tell the story. A CNBC study found that between the stock market high on February 19, 2020—and the new market high on August 18, 2020—only 38 percent of stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index posted gains. By contrast, 62 percent showed losses.1 The best performing…

With all of the storm and stress of the year 2020, you’d be forgiven if you momentarily forgot that we’re due for another national election in November. Many states will be selecting governors, representatives, and senators, while the country itself will be voting in the presidential election. Even though these elections happen every four years, they often breed uncertainty or anxiety about the financial markets and other investment matters. Some of our personal political beliefs may…

This month, many universities and colleges are welcoming students back to campus, even if most campuses are largely online this year. But that’s not all that’s different. The current administration has issued an executive memorandum that extends the temporary halt on all federal student loan payments, which was originally granted by the CARES Act, until December 31, 2020. This executive action instructs the Department of Education to “continue the temporary cessation of payments and the waiver…

Two of the most well known professional designations in the financial industry are CFP and CFA. They can be confusing because they are so similar. Here’s a look at the difference. bit.ly/3fJUoWp    

An “eye-popping” $2 trillion in cash has been stashed in deposit accounts at U.S. banks since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country in January.1 This surge of money into banks has no precedent in history. Several factors have contributed to the cash surge, including $600 billion in government-sponsored loans to small businesses, direct checks to individuals, and expanded unemployment benefits. Additionally, Americans have had fewer options for spending their money while on lockdown. So, how…

In times like this it is a breath of fresh air to get good news, and with that being said, I’d like to express  our gratitude to the (VA) Veterans Administration. Over the many years we have served elderly Veterans the VA has often received a bad rap for the pace with which they worked. Things have changed. They have really stepped up their underwriting processes as a result of the changes instituted in the fall…

As states cautiously begin the process of relaxing their COVID-19 restrictions, some are wondering, “Why is the stock market doing so well when the economy is doing so poorly?” It’s a great question, and fortunately, one that’s been answered before. To find the answer, we’ll need to dust off those economic textbooks of yesteryear and turn to the chapter on “lead, lag, and coincident indicators.” “Lead indicators” are factors that are used to anticipate what may happen…

In recent days, we have watched as outraged and frustrated protestors spilled out into the streets of American cities. Across our communities, unhealed wounds have been brought vividly to our attention once again. Our firm is committed to empowering people to change their financial lives for the better. At times like this, we are reminded that part of that work is nurturing a stronger connection to our entire community, in whatever ways we can. We hope…

What’s next for the economy? Paul Krugman see’s a “v-shaped recovery” rather than a protracted recovery as we saw with the Great Recession. bloom.bg/2ZXmzfk