October 7, 2019 – Special Update: Quarterly Report
The Week on Wall Street The fourth quarter started with a mixed week for equities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.92% for the week; the S&P 500, 0.33%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite improved 0.54%. Overseas stocks pulled back: the MSCI EAFE index dipped 2.60%.[1][2] The Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index […]
Qualified Charitable Distribution
Did you know that there are exceptions to distributions from traditional IRAs being taxable in the year you receive them? There are several, including the Qualified Charitable Distribution (“QCD”). A QCD is a reportable distribution of funds from your IRA that is made payable directly to a qualified charity, which is reported as a normal […]
Reasons for Optimism
We wish you a happy New Year and hope you were able to close out 2022 with friends and family. The beginning of a calendar year is often the time when the previous year’s reflections transition to a new year’s hopes. Given the market’s continued instability during 2022 and a resulting tough period for stock […]
SECURE Act 2.0: An Overview
In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement. The law is called SECURE 2.0, and it’s a follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, passed in 2019. […]
September 16, 2019 – Dow Logs 8-Day Win Streak
The Week on Wall Street Stocks edged toward all-time peaks during a relatively calm week marked by easing trade tensions. Friday marked the eighth straight daily advance for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.[1] Small-cap shares, as tracked by the Russell 2000 index, rose 4.85% in five days. The S&P 500 improved 0.96% for the week, […]
September 23, 2019 – Stocks Stage a Modest Retreat
The Week on Wall Street Investors reacted to two major news items last week, one far more of a surprise than the other. The Federal Reserve did indeed make a rate cut, matching Wall Street expectations. Drone strikes on two of the world’s largest oil fields brought a shock to the global oil market. At […]
September 3, 2019 – Stocks Rally as August Ends
The Week on Wall Street Fears of an impasse in the U.S.-China trade dispute lessened last week. While additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports were scheduled to take effect on September 1, China’s government communicated that it would refrain from taking retaliatory measures for the moment. U.S. stock benchmarks advanced during the week. The S&P […]
September 30, 2019 – Benchmarks End Week Lower
The Week on Wall Street Stocks retreated last week. Traders worried that the formal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump might distract White House officials from their pursuit of a trade deal with China, and shift the focus of Congress away from consideration of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Also, news broke Friday that the […]
September 9, 2019 – Dow, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Advance
The Week on Wall Street Stocks rose last week, with help from two developments: the announcement of further U.S.-China trade talks as well as August hiring and manufacturing numbers that seemed to bolster the argument for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The broad U.S. equity market, as represented by the S&P 500, added […]