Weekly Market Commentary

May 9, 2022 The Markets There is a lot of uncertainty in financial markets – and markets hate uncertainty. In recent weeks, economic and financial market data have been telling different stories – and that makes it tough for investors to know where the United States economy is headed. Since stock markets move up and down based on what investors think will happen in the future, markets have been vo...

The Markets The Federal Reserve’s Ice Bucket Challenge… Remember a few years ago when people raised money for charity by challenging others to pour buckets of icy water over their heads? Last week, the Federal Reserve poured a bucket of ice water over the United States stock market. Randall W. Forsyth of Barron’s explained: “In the past week, Fed officials stepped up their rhetorical anti-inflatio...

The Markets Here’s a riddle: How can inflation be 8.5 percent and 6.5 percent at the same time? The answer is that it depends on how you measure it. Determining how quickly prices are rising or falling – and where they may be headed in the future – is not simple. In the United States, millions of goods and services are bought and sold every day – shelter, food, transportation, energy, water, educa...

Weekly Market Commentary April 11, 2022 The Markets The first quarter of 2022 was jam-packed with volatility-inducing events: rising inflation, war in Ukraine, rising interest rates, sanctions on Russia, and a new COVID-19 outbreak in China. Here’s a brief review of what happened during: Inflation continued to rise. At the start of the year, consumers and investors were primarily concerned about i...

The Markets Checking in on the Federal Reserve. Among other things, Congress asks the Federal Reserve to use its tools to promote price stability and  maximum employment. Last week, economic data provided information about both. Inflation continued to increase Price stability means ensuring the prices of goods and services increase at a slow and stable pace. Last week, the Bureau of Economic...

The Markets Markets were reassured by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)’s actions last week. The FOMC met on March 16 and did exactly what most people expected them to do. They raised the federal funds target rate by a quarter point. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed expects to continue to raise rates and reduce its balance sheet during 2022 to lower inflation. The bond marke...

The Markets Investor optimism is quite low. In just two weeks, the war in Ukraine has changed the status of 1.3 million people – approximately the number of people who live in Philadelphia or Phoenix – from citizen to refugee, reported Rachel Pannett and colleagues at The Washington Post. Investors have been sharply focused on the shorter-term implications of the war, which include slower economic...

For most Americans, Social Security has represented nothing more than some unavoidable payroll deduction with the positively cryptic initials of “FICA” and “OASDI” (Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance). It hinted at a future that seemed both intangible and faraway. Yet, many Americans now sit on the cusp of drawing on the promise that was made with t...

Social Security can be complicated, and as a result many individuals don’t have a full understanding of the choices they may have. Here are five facts about Social Security that are important to keep in mind. 1. Social Security is a critical source of Retirement Income Some have the perception that Social Security is of secondary or even tertiary importance in retirement. But according to a recent...