Wow! Our last published piece on the blog was “2019: A Year for the Record Books”. Two months later and the peace and quiet of yesteryear seem a distant memory. Scary days have arrived, thanks to the concern over how coronavirus might impact our global economy. As we draft this update, headlines are reporting the […]
Key Takeaways 2019 turned out to be one of the best years for the financial markets in recent history. To understand how we got there, it’s helpful to consider where we began. Factset did a very good job of this on its website insight.factset.com: “As we began 2019, the big economic stories were the Fed’s […]
‘Risk On’ trades take the lead in October Key Takeaways U.S. growth stocks and emerging markets jump-started the 4th quarter with returns of 2.82% and 4.22% respectively as investors shifted away from ‘risk off’ assets such as defensive stocks and U.S. Treasury bonds The FOMC dropped its federal funds interest rate target for the 3rd […]
Oil shocks, impeachment, and Brexit – Oh My! Key Takeaways U.S. stock and bond markets closed the 3rd quarter with an impressive – though volatile – year-to-date return. The S&P 500 index ended September up nearly 19%, the best 3-quarter return since 1997, while the Barclays Aggregate Bond index posted an outstanding return near 8%. […]
The U.S. stock market feasts on recession fears before regaining its risk appetite in late August Key Takeaways President Trump added, then delayed, another tariff on Chinese goods, exacerbating trade tensions and concerns about the strength of the global economy. As talks with China resume, Britain’s new prime minister attempts to achieve a ‘hard Brexit’, […]
Welcome back to A Few Minutes with Marcia. My name is Marcia Clark, senior research analyst at Warren Street Wealth Advisors. Today we’re going to spend a few minutes considering the pros and cons of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee holding short-term interest rates steady at its June meeting. Most of my comments today […]
Key Takeaways The U.S. economy just exceeded the record for the longest business cycle expansion since economists started recording expansions in the 1930s (120 months plus 1 day) Global trade tensions are impacting manufacturing sectors all around the world; only the U.S. and France show continued expansion, with Germany falling the most Despite these concerns, […]
Key Takeaways The stock market stumbled in May after strong performance in April. The decline was likely due to concerns over the impact of proposed tariffs on Mexican goods, especially given that Chinese trade negotiations are still unresolved. Treasury yields hit new lows in May as investors fled stock market volatility. However, a 10-year Treasury […]
April 2019 Market Commentary Key Takeaways 1st quarter GDP beat expectations at 3.2%, due in part to increasing net exports and inventories The U.S. stock market reached new highs as economic data and corporate earnings were stronger than expected, though stock prices of companies with disappointing results have been punished Despite slowing GDP in China […]
Chances are if you are reading this, you’re already at least somewhat familiar with a Roth IRA. While the contribution limit will vary over time, in 2019 the limit is $6,000, plus an additional $1,000 catch up contribution for individuals over the age of 50. This limit is per individual, allowing married couples to contribute […]
Key Takeaways The rally in U.S. stocks slowed in March but still posted the best 1st quarter in recent memory at 13.65%, though stock markets remain volatile as investors seem to overreact to fears of the Fed increasing interest rates too much or not increasing rates at all A slightly better-than-expected jobs report for March […]
Volatility measures the frequency and magnitude of price movements, both up and down, that a financial instrument experiences over a certain period of time. The more dramatic the price swings, the higher the level of volatility. Learn the basics of market volatility with Marcia Clark, CFA, MBA. Watch: For those who prefer to read! Welcome […]
WSWA Monthly Market Commentary for February 2019 Key Takeaways Commodities took the lead in February with a year-to-date return of 13.14% as oil prices recovered from the supply/demand imbalance during the second half of 2018 The S&P 500 index is on pace for its biggest early-year advance in nearly 30 years, due in part to […]
WSWA Monthly Market Commentary for January 2019 Key Takeaways All major asset classes were up strongly in January, one of the best yearly starts in recent memory, despite the month-long partial government shutdown in the U.S. and continuing uncertainty internationally about the economic impact of trade tariffs and the U.K. ‘Brexit’ negotiations Global real estate […]
Here Are The Things All Employees Should Be Aware of Regardless of Where You Work By Justin D. Rucci, CFP® As many of you are likely aware, PG&E recently announced a bankruptcy filing as the result of roughly $30B in potential liabilities stemming from recent California wildfires. Regardless of whether or not you work for a […]
Market Commentary – December 2018 Key Takeaways Though the U.S. stock market closed the year with its first annual loss since 2008 (S&P 500 -4.38%)(1), investors retained the vast majority of gains earned in 2017 (21.83%.) International stocks as measured by the MSCI EAFE(2) index were down -8.96%, giving up just over half of 2017’s […]
What is a Roth Conversion? According to Investopedia, “a Roth IRA conversion is a reportable movement of assets from a Traditional IRA, SEP or SIMPLE IRA to a Roth IRA, which is a taxable event. A Roth conversion can be advantageous for individuals with large traditional IRA accounts who expect their future tax bills to […]
End-of-the-Year Money Moves Here are some things you might want to do before saying goodbye to 2018. What has changed for you in 2018? Did you start a new job or leave a job behind? Did you retire? Did you start a family? If notable changes occurred in your personal or professional life, then […]
Market Commentary – November 2018 Key Points: Global markets remained volatile despite more clarity about the geopolitical landscape and economic outlook 78% of S&P 500 companies reported positive earnings surprises. A survey of large corporations indicated an expectation for EPS to slow somewhat in 2019 from the current high levels. The U.S. stock market is […]
Word on the Street – November 27th – December 1st Another brief conversation with our CIO on current events in the investing world… A sit down with Blake Street, CFA, CFP® to discuss some current events in the news, their impact on investors, and his sentiment on some issues. Enjoy… Trade War talks are still […]
Case Study – Start Retirement on Vacation Learn how we helped a client retire early, without penalty, move out-of-state, and get their desired income level by constructing a strong financial plan. When most people think of working with a financial advisor for retirement, people think about investment management strategies. Having someone whom they could trust […]
Social Security Gets Its Biggest Boost in Years Seniors will see their retirement benefits increase by an average of 2.8% in 2019. Social Security will soon give seniors their largest “raise” since 2012. In view of inflation, the Social Security Administration has authorized a 2.8% increase for retirement benefits in 2019. (1) This is especially […]
Market Commentary – October 2018 Another wicked October! First, we had the Panic of 1907, then Black Tuesday in 1929 (and Thursday and Monday), and Black Monday in October 1987, but October 2018 was indeed a month for the record books. With a negative return of -6.94%, it was the third worst October since 1987, […]
Taking a Loan from Your Retirement Plan = Bad Idea Why you should refrain from making this move. Thinking about borrowing money from your 401(k), 403(b), or 457 account? Think twice about that because these loans are not only risky but injurious to your retirement planning. A loan of this kind damages your retirement savings prospects. […]
Word on the Street – A Conversation with Marcia Clark, CFA, MBA A sit down with our Senior Research Analyst to discuss the US market, international markets, and how we are approaching both for investors. For this Word on the Street, I sat down with Marcia Clark to discuss a recent report that stated leading economic […]
Word on the Street – October 1st – 5th A brief conversation with our CIO, Blake Street, CFA, CFP®, on what’s going on in the world today. We constantly want to deliver more content to our clients and followers on current events, and how we are viewing them from an investment or planning angle. “Word […]