For Mark Roberts' Use: Many seniors hope to pay off their mortgages before they retire, allowing for a roomier budget and a more comfortable lifestyle. However, this isn't always possible for everyone, so one thing some retirees choose to do is refinance their current mortgages. Since interest rates remain very low right now, this might [...]
Investment Commentary – October 29, 2014 Dow – 17,005.75 (10/28/14 close) S&P 500 – 1,985.05 (10/28/14 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.28% (10/28/14 close) The Federal Reserve ended is QE (Quantitative easing) program today, ceasing the final $15 billion of bond purchases it had made in an effort to keep the economic recovery going. Though it [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: If you're a small business owner, you probably know that attracting and retaining the best workers in your industry can be a challenge. The Affordable Care Act encouraged business owners to provide health insurance to employees, and many business owners have found that offering this benefit helps to promote a healthier [...]
Investment Commentary – October 22, 2014 Dow – 16,614.81 (10/21/14 close) S&P 500 -1,941.28 (10/21/14 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.21% (10/21/14 close) Stocks recouped some of their losses since last Friday after the recent market selloff. Volatility as measured by the VIX index traded at its highest level since December 2011 and equity markets experienced [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: What would you do if you encountered high medical bills due to an accident or serious illness? If you're like almost 90 percent of middle-income Americans, you may be forced to dip into your retirement savings. Since it's generally a bad idea to take early withdrawals from a retirement savings account, [...]
Investment Commentary – October 14, 2014 Dow – 16,315.19 (10/14/14 close) S&P 500 – 1,877.70 (10/14/14 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.21% (10/14/14 close) · The S&P 500 index has lost 6.6% since its September 18th record closing high and is now up just 1.6% for the year, while the Dow is down 1.6% since December [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: The recent housing crisis has had a detrimental effect on the plans of many retirees. Whether you were counting on a big profit from the sale of your home, or really need to unload it before you can move to the retirement location of your dreams, low values and sluggish sales [...]
Investment Commentary – October 7, 2014 Dow – 16,719.39 (10/7/14 close) S&P 500 – 1,935.10 (10/7/14) 10-year Treasury – 2.35% (10/7/14 close) · After August’s disappointing employment numbers, the September employment report was a sigh of relief for the market, showing that the weakness was probably a blip. The September unemployment rate dropped to 5.9% [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Our society is growing increasingly litigious, and anyone with considerable assets could be vulnerable to lawsuits. From legal fees to the actual judgment, just one liability lawsuit can wreck your financial life. Since it's not uncommon these days for plaintiffs to sue everyone involved in a particular incident, almost everyone is [...]
Investment Commentary – October 1, 2014 Dow – 16,804.71 (10/1/14 close) S&P 500 – 1946.16 (10/1/14 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.40% (10/1/14 close) Last week stocks suffered their worst pullback since the summer. Analysts do not believe the pullback reflects a fundamental shift in market conditions, but it does point to 3 important lessons to [...]