Looking Back at August August was a volatile month with the stock market dropping almost 3% on August 14, 2019 when the yield curve inverted for the first time since 2007. The yield curve inversion means that the interest rate on the US two-year bond is higher than the interest rate on the 10-year bond.…
Looking Back at July Worldwide economies have not been as robust in recent months as the United States economy. During the month of July, the U.S. economy was very strong, and the market reflected this with the S&P hitting all-time highs, passing the previous 2950 mark. This discrepancy between the U. S. economy and the…
Henry’s Take on the Financial Landscape thorough April 2019
Looking Back at March Thinking that the United States and China might be close to a trade deal caused the market to be relatively quiet in March – until the last week when the yield curve inverted. Essentially this means shorter term interest rates became higher than longer term rate. This yield curve inversion caused…
FOR THE YEAR – The S&P 500 lost 4.4% (total return) during 2018, breaking a streak of 9 consecutive “up” years for the $22.1 trillion index that was created in 1957. The raw index fell 6.2% but after factoring in the impact of reinvested dividends, the overall decline was reduced by 1.8 percentage points. The…
Looking Back at December I’m sure we’ve all had a few sleepless nights over the market the last few months. And, being anxious over the swings is understandable. There are several reasons for the volatility – some, somewhat logical; others, emotional: 1) Computer algorithms that trigger buy or sell signals when certain limits are hit…
Looking Back at November November was perhaps the most volatile month in 2018. Two major conditions that influenced the market: The fear that the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) would continue to raise interest rates in December (and several more times in 2019) and the uncertainty of trade with the possibility of increased tariffs. Both conditions “spooked” the…
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.…
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…
CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA – June 6, 2018 – LifeSteps Financial, a financial planning advisory firm located in Claremont, California has introduced its new website, LifeStepsFinancial.com. In addition to information about the firm, its services and approach, the website includes videos, calculators and articles that the firm has created to educate and inform people interested in planning…