Tag: Current Events

The Texas Stock Exchange Aims to Buck Wall Street

Jun 26, 2024

The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) is saddling up as a new electronic stock exchange to be located in Dallas. Underpinned by a significant investment of $120 million from industry heavyweights like BlackRock and Citadel Securities, the TXSE aims to shake up the status quo and provide another competitive alternative to the globally recognized New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ.

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Market Update – Seasonal Tailwinds and Easing Interest Rates

Jun 10, 2024

After a solid 2023 in which the Bloomberg Municipal Index was up over 6% (including a positive 8% in November and December), it’s been a slow start to the year in 2024. Changing Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut expectations and already rich relative value ratios (versus Treasury yields) have, so far, offset still high tax-equivalent yields and solid fundamentals for the asset class. But with the unofficial kick-off to summer behind us, the muni market, we think, is set up for a number of potential tailwinds that could help push the index back into positive territory by yearend.

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Market Update – Stocks Benefit From Solid Fundamental Foundation

Jun 7, 2024

April showers brought May flowers as markets placed greater importance on economic growth and corporate profits than the “higher for longer” interest rate messages from the Federal Reserve (Fed). In fact, the S&P 500 ended May above where it ended March. So, as you prepare for summer vacations, how much should you worry about your stock portfolios? (more…)

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Key Market Themes During Election Periods

May 24, 2024

We recognize the presidential election is still a way off, but it’s not too early to draw some policy contrasts between the candidates. Though a sitting and former President facing off limits the amount of potential policy uncertainty investors must consider, there is no doubt the two candidates offer two distinct policy approaches in several key areas.

Here are some of the more divergent potential, economic and market positions to think about.

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Market Update – Navigating May’s Stock Market Outlook

May 10, 2024

After a strong first quarter for stocks, some April showers rained down as the S&P 500 fell about 4% last month. Hopefully those showers will bring some flowers in May, despite the widely cited stock market adage, “Sell in May and go away.” There is some merit to this old adage because the S&P 500’s best six-month returns have, on average, come from November through April, and its worst between May and October (recall bear markets often end in October). Still, historically the index has gained an average of 1.8% from May through October — hardly worth avoiding. (more…)

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Market Update – The Patient Pause

Apr 26, 2024

It seems like we just can’t stop talking about the Federal Reserve (Fed). After an aggressive rate hiking campaign that we think ended last year, markets were expecting the Fed to start cutting interest rates as early as next month. But withan economy that continues to surprise to the upside, along with inflationary pressures that are still too hot, it seems it will still be a few months before we get any of those rate cuts.

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Conducting a Home Inventory

Apr 3, 2024

A home inventory is a complete and detailed written list of all your personal property that’s located in your home and stored in other structures like garages and toolsheds. It should include your possessions as well as those of family members and others living in your home. You should prepare an inventory whenever you move into a new home. To keep track of new additions and discarded items, be sure to update it every year.

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What Are Personal Tax Credits?

Feb 28, 2024

Tax Written on Paper
Deductions you do not want to miss

Have you ever thought that you’re paying too much income tax? You may be, if you’re not claiming all of the tax credits for which you are eligible when you file your federal tax return. These credits may significantly reduce your tax liability.

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How Could the Markets Surprise Us in 2024?

Feb 12, 2024

Byron Wien recently passed away. He was a true Wall Street icon. I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Wien once when I was seated behind him at an investment conference during the depths of the Great Financial Crisis (GFC). Mr. Wien was probably best known for his annual top ten list of surprises for the year ahead. He defined a surprise on his list as something that the average investor would only assign about a one-in-three chance of occurring, but that he thought was closer to 50/50.  I always thought this was a useful exercise. Markets have a way of habitually surprising us and proving the conventional thinking wrong, so having an idea of where the potential forks in the road may come just makes us better prepared and informed as investors. (more…)

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Market Update – Solid Start to 2024

Feb 9, 2024

Stocks are off to a solid start in 2024. January gains are particularly enjoyable because of the old adage from the Stock Trader’s Almanac, “As goes January, so goes the year.” Nearly 75 years of historical data shows that when the S&P 500 has risen in January, the average gain for the remainder of the year has been about 12%. This January, the S&P 500 was up 1.6%. (more…)

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More Insights

Apr 4, 2025

April showers came a month early as stocks fell in March. Tariffs were the primary cause of the market jitters, although that uncertainty became too much for markets to shrug off once economic data started to weaken.

Apr 2, 2025

A successful investor maximizes gain and minimizes loss. Though there can be no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful and all investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, here are six basic principles that may help you invest more successfully.

Mar 31, 2025

Losing a spouse is a stressful transition. And the added pressure of having to settle the estate and organize finances can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make dealing with these matters less difficult.

Mar 28, 2025

Families are one of the great joys in life, and part of the love you show to your family is making sure that their basic needs are met. While that’s only to be expected from birth through the high school years, many households are helping their adult children well into their twenties and beyond at … Continue reading “Retirement and Adult Children”

Mar 26, 2025

Life insurance can be an excellent tool for charitable giving. Not only does life insurance allow you to make a substantial gift to charity at relatively little cost to you, but you may also benefit from tax rules that apply to gifts of life insurance.

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