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Election 2020: Be Confident. Be Bold. Be Patient

By ASoFSP / October 27, 2020 / Comments Off on Election 2020: Be Confident. Be Bold. Be Patient

It should come as no surprise that the economy is the most crucial issue in the upcoming election. But here’s something that may surprise you. More than 90% of investors say they plan to change their portfolio in the 12 months following the election.1 Some are preparing to adjust their stock holdings, while others are looking to adjust their bond positions. Some say they expect to boost their cash portion, while others consider doing “something else…

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Election 2020: A Dose of Patience

By ASoFSP / October 23, 2020 / Comments Off on Election 2020: A Dose of Patience

The upcoming election is prompting some people to reconsider their investment strategy. In fact, 45% of consumers with $100,000 or more investable assets expect to make changes to their portfolio due to the upcoming 2020 presidential election.1 But if history is any guide, patience may be the answer. For the past 12 presidential elections, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has notched a 4% gain, on average, in the 90 days after the election.2 Of course,…

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October Is Financial Planning Month

By ASoFSP / October 15, 2020 / Comments Off on October Is Financial Planning Month

When training to become a financial professional, much of our course work centers on the six critical areas of creating a financial strategy. Some recognize October as Financial Planning Month, so it’s an excellent opportunity to review those six personal finance areas.1 Cash Management: This is a broad topic that can address many issues. One area is creating an emergency fund, which is money that’s set aside for unplanned expenses. Cash management also can include looking at…

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Election 2020: Economic Issues in the Crosshairs

By ASoFSP / October 6, 2020 / Comments Off on Election 2020: Economic Issues in the Crosshairs

It should come as no surprise to hear the economy is the top issue for voters in the 2020 election. Nearly 8 in ten voters say that the economy will be very important to them when they cast their votes.1 But when voters say “economy,” what do they really mean? Is it a catch-all phrase for personal finances? Not exactly. Here’s a breakdown of voters’ top three economic concerns and what each candidate has said about…

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Election 2020: Preparing for Any Outcome

By ASoFSP / September 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Election 2020: Preparing for Any Outcome

As the U.S. presidential election draws near, expect to see more and more headlines that propose, “What will happen next if this person is elected?” or, “What policy changes to prepare for in the next four years?” In reality, however, it isn’t easy to anticipate what may happen with the financial markets after the November elections. An ambitious investor would have to forecast the election results, evaluate which policies may become law, estimate a potential economic…

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Home Improvements Trending Higher

By ASoFSP / September 18, 2020 / Comments Off on Home Improvements Trending Higher

Due to COVID-19, Americans are spending more time at home than ever before, leading to a record amount of spending on home improvement.1 It’s not that big of a surprise since many Americans now find their homes are doing triple duty as a place to live, work, and learn. Homeowners are funneling more money into their homes than ever thanks to a surplus of cash they would typically spend in other ways. However, what is surprising…

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Home Builders Confident In Economic Rebound

By ASoFSP / September 17, 2020 / Comments Off on Home Builders Confident In Economic Rebound

To some, this may hardly feel like an economy headed for a bright future. But don’t tell that to home builders. Builder confidence in August jumped to an eye-popping 78 in August, according to the Housing Market Index courtesy of the National Association of Home Builders. To put that number in perspective, anything over 50 is considered positive.1 This past April, builder confidence plunged to 30 as the pandemic swept the nation. In August, the index…

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The Cost of School

By ASoFSP / September 17, 2020 / Comments Off on The Cost of School

School is in full swing and it looks very different this year. School budgets and school outcomes are hyper-local issues. Here’s a look at how varied the cost of school can be. How much does your school district spend per student?

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Race for a Vaccine

By ASoFSP / September 15, 2020 / Comments Off on Race for a Vaccine

A U.S. drug company recently said that it’s in late-stage trials for its coronavirus vaccine and reported that it could be given to Americans as early as the end of the year.1 Great news. But it seems like every few days there’s a new update on a clinical trial for COVID-19. So we took the opportunity to check out the overall status for the development of a vaccine. Much to our surprise, we learned that more…

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