It was 40 years ago last week that BusinessWeek magazine proclaimed the end of stock investments. Stock markets have gone up and gone down since then. But mostly up. S&P 500 closed at 42 on Aug. 13, 1979 2,926.32 on Aug. 13, 2019 Stock dividends are up: $6 in 1979 $56 in 2019 Inflation has raised prices …
Stock Market
How will a trade war affect the U.S. economy?
The current market volatility is distressing. Any time we see the markets fall by more than 3 percent in a single day, it can be pretty unpleasant. But the news isn’t uniformly bad. A few things to note: Volatility is always part of the “top-of-market” behavior we see in this phase of the market cycle. Remember, the …
9 steps to declaring your financial independence
This week brings us U.S. Independence Day. It’s a reminder of several conversations I’ve had with clients and friends lately. In each case it was mostly the same conversation with different details: What will retirement look like? How will they know when they are able to make the move? We do not typically talk about retirement in the traditional …
8 things to know about bear market cycles
Since the S&P 500 index of the 500 largest U.S. stocks set a record high on June 20, many people are wondering how much longer the bull market can last. Markets started their climb in March 2009, and we have not had a bear market since then. This is the longest bull market so far. …
What is Risk Tolerance?
If you are talking with an investment representative, a stockbroker or a financial advisor, you most likely will talk about “risk tolerance.” Risk tolerance is a term used in the investment business to talk about the willingness of a client to accept a loss in the value of their investment account over a short period …
Is This the Beginning of the End?
With the recent volatility in stock prices, many people are wondering about their financial future. Stock prices are down from the highs. Since prices have moved around dramatically from day to day and even within the day, it’s hard to be clear about what current data tells us. In general, stock prices are down. Depending …