Q1 earnings recap. Now that 95% of the S&P 500 have reported 1st quarter earnings, it’s clear that corporate America is well on its way to a historically strong recovery. Not only are more companies beating their earnings but, as we said before, it’s by a historic margin. Yet the markets have stayed put for the month, with the Read More
Bringing up debt in any conversation can feel like a social taboo. Oddly enough, the more intimate the relationship, the more awkward debt discussions can be. We worry we will suddenly be viewed in a negative light: “What if they judge me? What if they start lecturing me? What if my financial burden creates this Read More
Earnings, earnings, earnings. Earnings expectations were high heading into this reporting season, and companies have not disappointed. Year-over-year comparable earnings were easy to beat but uncertainty still lingered. The markets are absorbing the positive earnings news with relief and trending higher. So far 84.6% of S&P 500 reporting companies have beaten their EPS estimates. More Read More
People tend to harbor this notion that investing is all about stock picking, industry monitoring, and company analysis. What is so often left out is the human emotion side, which is arguably the biggest determinant of success in the investment world. Your investing comfort level is the key to productively putting your money to work Read More
Interest rates march higher. Rates have continued their upward climb through March, a trend leading to sustained volatility in investment markets. Investors keep adjusting their portfolios to account for the rising rate environment. Want to dive into the nitty gritty? Find out why the recently rising rate on the U.S. 10-year note is adding to market jitters here. Ultimately, Read More
Living in a pandemic has highlighted a stark reality. Financial stability is integral to our overall wellness. Money impacts our personal relationships, stress levels, and ability to interact with the rest of the world. When COVID-19 hit, our days were turned upside down. Those creature comforts we often took for granted – visiting friends and Read More
Moving on up. Rates that is. Rates are on the rise. While not the end of the world, this shift has certainly reintroduced volatility into the investment market. Everyone is working to adjust their portfolios for a future with higher inflation, growth and interest rates. This rotation has hit the high-flying tech sector, which has been the Read More
When I talk with millennials about growing a retirement nest egg, their eyes tend to glaze over. It is the ultimate “I’ll worry about that later” topic. Believe me, I get it. Most of us cannot even imagine the day when we hang it up. There are so many shorter-term goals our generation is working Read More
The COVID-19 story. The pandemic continues to dominate much of what is happening in our country. The feared holiday surge has come to be. More than 433,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 complications. The spread of disease has transformed consumption habits, driving ongoing weakness in the labor market. Most of the high unemployment stems from the ravaging of the leisure and hospitality industry. This trend will continue until vaccines are plentiful and consumers begin to resume their Read More
“Refinance – yes, no, maybe”? With interest rates at historic lows, I field this question a lot. My response is always the same: “Well, it depends”. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the refi question. A multitude of factors are at play here: What are you trying to accomplish? What are the details of your Read More
