Posts Tagged ‘interest rates’
Q4 2024 Market Commentary: A Year-End Rally Caps Off a Robust Year
As we closed the books in 2024, the financial markets have delivered an impressive performance, defying early-year skepticism and rewarding patient investors. The fourth quarter saw a continuation of the year’s positive momentum, with major stock market indices reaching new heights and the broader market participation expanding. We’re reminded that steering away from the negative…
Read MoreThe Fed Finally Cut Interest Rates. What Could It Mean for Your Finances?
On September 18, 2024, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the benchmark federal funds rate one-half percentage point to a range of 4.75% to 5.0%. It was the first rate cut since the Fed raised the funds rate aggressively from March 2022 to July 2023 to help control inflation.¹ The long-awaited policy…
Read More2024 Year-End Tax Tips
Here are some things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. 1. Defer income to next year Consider opportunities to defer income to 2025, particularly if you think you may be in a lower tax bracket then. For example, you may be able to defer a…
Read MoreAfter a Massive Breach, Is Your Data in Danger?
National Public Data, a consumer data broker, confirmed last week that a hacker had targeted the company in December 2023, “with potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024.”Other reports indicate that this leaked data had been found on the dark web and could include the names, addresses, phone numbers, and Social…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary Q1 2024
The last quarter of 2023 was marked by a sudden turning point in the interest rate rhetoric of the Fed, a resilient economy led by a strong consumer, and a normalization of inflation. At the end of Q3, the Fed continued to raise interest rates as investors continued to wonder when the hikes would come…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary Q3 2023
Investors began the third quarter of 2023 focusing on the potential peak in interest rates, the robust rally from the bottom of the stock market, and renewed optimism of a soft landing derived from trends of cooling inflation and economic growth. However, as rates continued to rise from a hawkish Fed, both the bond…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary Q1 2023
During the first quarter of 2023 sentiment started off hot with great gains in January but had its ebbs and flows throughout the quarter. The belief that the Federal Reserve was going to be able to tame inflation and the economy would be able to establish a “soft landing” in terms of a possible recession…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary Q4 2022
In an otherwise volatile and ugly year, the fourth quarter of 2022 turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Sentiment turned optimistic mainly led by better-than-expected corporate earnings and Year-over-Year inflation rates coming down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022. S&P, Dow, and NASDAQ The S&P 500 was able to climb higher by…
Read MoreMonthly Market Insights | July 2022
US Markets June was a tough month for the markets as recession talk prompted investors to recalculate risk in their portfolios. The Dow Jones Composite Average led the indices to lose only 6.84% while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 8.39%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped the most losing 8.71% in the month of…
Read MoreMorning Market Commentary for Q1 2022
We mentioned a couple of quarters ago that volatility was beginning to make its way back into this market. The evidence is now clear. There is no denying that this past quarter was one of the most volatile in recent years. There were many factors that stirred the pot this quarter. Turning the calendar is…
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