One of the biggest mistakes people make with their wealth building is to focus too much on growth. This is like a basketball team that only focuses on offense, and never plays defense. They may win some games, but they won’t ever have enough firepower to win the championship. We…
The Federal Reserve is doing homeowners a big favor, keeping interest rates low. That means you should consider refinancing your old higher-rate mortgage. But how do you go about refinancing your old mortgage and how will you know it makes sense? First, you should know that not everyone can qualify…
July was a positive month for the S&P 500, rising 1.3% while the core bond ETF (AGG) increased only 0.2%. Looking beyond the United States, stocks and emerging markets (stocks) slumped in the same period. Now, if we focus on the Price/Earnings ratios alone, domestic stocks may appear overvalued. However,…
Refinancing might make sense, but make sure you have a plan The Federal Reserve is doing homeowners a big favor, keeping interest rates low. That means you should consider refinancing your old higher-rate mortgage. But how do you go about this? Click Here to Read More
Global stock markets jumped last week, with the S&P 500 Index rising 4.5% for its biggest gain since late November 2018. Short positions were covered due to technicals that suggested stocks were oversold. This fueled some of the recent recovery, but much of the boost, in our opinion, came after…
Our Summer edition of Financial Edge 2019 is now available. This quarter we discuss the price you pay for ignoring fee adjustments, one of the great benefits of retirement plans for your employees, and a short version of our podcast that’s sure to peak your interest and encourage you to…
U.S. equity markets fell more than 2% last week, one of the worst weekly performances in 2019. The breakdown in U.S./China trade negotiations, combined with President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs, ignited the mild sell-off. However, stocks plunged again on Monday morning amid continuing trade war concerns. China has retaliated…
As stock markets go, the first quarter of 2019 was a win all around. The S&P 500 experienced its best quarter overall since the third quarter of 2009, when the recovery out of the great recession was just getting underway. The index also had its best first quarter since 1998,…
Home values affect much in the economy – especially the housing and consumer sectors. Periods of rising home values encourage new construction while periods of soft home prices can damp housing starts. Changes in home values play key roles in consumer spending and in consumer financial health. During the first…
Stocks closed mixed on Friday, but mostly recovered from early losses. The muted performance is attributable to fourth-quarter earnings, negotiations over a China trade deal and the insipid debt ceiling issues. The 10-year Treasury yield closed Friday at 2.63%, down from 2.69% the prior week. Last week’s economic reports, which…
