Apr 05 March Recap and April Outlook Among the more interesting bits of Jerome Powell’s testimony to Congress last year was his admission that he’s been a Grateful Dead fan for 50 years. In his comments at the press conference at the March FOMC meeting, he affirmed that we will see rate cuts this year, [...]
Feb 29 Wealth transfers from one generation to the next don’t usually make the news, but everything about the baby boomers has always been newsworthy because of the sheer size of this mid-20th-century generation. The unique circumstances they were born into included societal change and financial opportunities to build wealth through better jobs, pensions, a [...]
Mar 19 The cost of college has skyrocketed, and it raises the question of whether the cost/benefit assumptions of a college education should be revisited. The Federal Reserve did just that, with a web feature called “The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates.” This is an interactive, consistently updated series of charts that look at [...]
February Recap and March Outlook Depending on your focus, the story the recent economic data is telling may be different. But one point of view has been remarkably consistent this year: the market does not seem to care about any of it. February saw the S&P 500’s first break through the 5,000 ceiling, and there [...]
Jan 08 December Recap and January Outlook The drama around the timing of the Federal Reserve’s first cuts to the key short-term interest rate continued in last few weeks of the old year and into the first week of the new year. Two months of slowing labor market data, coupled with a change to [...]
Nov 30 The inflation rate has come down from the forty-year highs we saw in 2022, but it is still elevated. While we are seeing relief on prices, there are some positive impacts of higher inflation. The IRS sets tax brackets, tax deductions, 401(k), and other tax-efficient retirement savings account contribution amounts by pegging them [...]
Dec 07 November Recap and December Outlook After a year in which Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell managed to hold everyone’s attention – again – here we are waiting for the outcome of the last FOMC meeting of the year. A few weeks ago, with the narrative of rates being higher for longer taking [...]
Oct 31 Northwestern Mutual’s annual Planning and Progress Study is out, and the results this year are very interesting. The study examines U.S. adults by generation to understand attitudes and behaviors toward money, financial decision-making, and financial security. Given the volatility of the last year, the results reflect more uncertainty. But they also indicate that [...]
Nov 06 October Recap and November Outlook The Federal Reserve’s November meeting went as the market expected: no change in rates. What wasn’t expected was the October and early November rollercoaster of bond yields. And by rollercoaster, think Kingda Ka. The ten-year U.S. Treasury yield was briefly above 5.00% during the month. The last time [...]
Sep 27 Saving for retirement in a 401(k) is one of the most effective ways to build up a nest egg. But with the maximum contribution limit at a considerable $22,500 for those under 50 and $30,000 for savers age 50 or older, should you be maxing it out? If you are saving in a [...]
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