Following a disappointing 4th quarter in 2018 in which the S&P500 Index fell nearly 20%, the first quarter of 2019 is much improved with the Index finishing up over twelve percent. Domestic earnings are growing, albeit at a slower pace than last year, and unemployment is holding low.
It appears that the market lows on December 24th were indeed the bottom, marking the end of the Bear market that began after the October highs. The US economy continues to prosper with more good news in the job market, recently adding over 300,000 new jobs. As a result, equity markets have been recovering nicely. According to BNI Research, the S&P 500 gained +8.0%&nbs
We all have our own unique way of handling our finances. While some of us are natural born savers, others may have a hard time making it to the next paycheck. Fortunately, most of us fall somewhere in-between, putting away money at times, while making frivolous purchases at other times.
By Paul Morrone CFP®, CPA/PFS, MSA
The spring is normally the time of year when we start to look at our summer calendar and realize that we have only one or two free weeks from May-September. It’s exciting, but equally depressing, knowing that your whole summer is pretty much planned out for. The downside is that it takes away from the ability to be spontaneous or just have a relaxing day at the pool. The past few years we have been inundated with weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, trips, baby showers and just about anything else that can clog up the calendar during the best part of the year in Connecticut. This year, finally, we get to breathe a sigh of relief.
April 2019: In this month’s recap: the Federal Reserve sees no rate hikes in 2019, investors watch Treasury yields with interest, hiring suddenly weakens, home sales pick up, and the price of oil tops $60.
By Paul Morrone CFP®, CPA/PFS, MSA
Employer provided life insurance comes in many shapes and sizes, and unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution for the employees who have access to such benefits. Many employees rely on their group term coverage as their primary (or only) life insurance coverage and don’t evaluate life insurance outside of their workplace, unless maybe they get a cold call from a pushy sales agent working for XYZ insurance company. While group term life insurance is a generous benefit, assuming the provided amount of coverage will be sufficient to meet your estate planning needs can be a big mistake.
Donating money to our favorite charitable organization is a year-end ritual for many of us. While monthly giving has gained in popularity in recent years, most of us still tend to open up our wallets just a bit wider at the end of the year.
The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed.
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