Looking Back at September Overall, the economy is doing well. There does seem to be one spot that we would like to focus on this month: The Housing Market. Looking at the data on Housing for the month of September, it appears to be taking a different direction from the rest of the economy. …
Looking Back at August The second quarter growth rate for our gross national product was reported at 4.3%. This and other indicators imply that our economy is growing, our labor market is strong and wages have risen slightly. Despite some “noise” about jitters, the economy is growing and consumer spending and sentiment are very strong.…
Definition: A digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer. Simply put, cryptocurrencies are electronic peer-to-peer currencies. They don’t physically exist. The are many types of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is probably the most well-known. The pioneer in cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin was created in 2009 by…
I recently received a very professional looking e-mail which appeared to come from a survey company, asking me to help my law firm by responding to a short service survey. It even had a message from our Managing Partner which included his name and contact information. But – I did not recognize the sender. And,…
Iconic Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, passed away in her home on August 16, 2018 at the age of 76. A recent court filing in Michigan by her four sons revealed that Aretha Franklin didn’t have a will. She isn’t the first celebrity who didn’t put a will or testament documents in place before they…
Looking Back at July The second quarter 2018 Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was first reported at a 4.1% annual growth rate. Many analysts are projecting that the US will end up the year with 3% growth. While the economy is very strong and the market is still trending upward, the ‘earnings season’ beginning on…
Volatility is how much uncertainty or risk is present regarding a change in the value of a security. It indicates how much and how quickly the value of an investment, market or market sector changes over time. The consensus is that the higher the volatility, the riskier the security. Volatility also refers to the amount…
Financial Planning is truly a journey. Financial Planning: A Philosophy We began this Financial Planning series in April by talking about Philosophy by giving you an investor’s point of view. To be an investor, you must have the philosophy of a long-term horizon. And, you need a plan. Financial Planning: Mapping the Experience Our second…
A tariff is essentially a tax levied on a product coming into a country. In the US, tariffs are paid at the time goods enter the country. The purpose of the tariffs is to push the cost of the goods coming into the country higher, in turn, encouraging US firms to buy from other US…
Looking Back at June The U.S. economic data for June 2018 was very strong. While it should indicate a strong upward market movement, trade and tariff policies currently in play have slowed the rise of the market. Investors are caught between a strong economy and uncertain trade policies. As new policies were addressed, the market…