The Markets (second quarter through June 30, 2022) For the first time since 2015, each of the benchmark indexes lost value for two consecutive quarters. They also posted losses for June, marking three consecutive down months for the tech-heavy Nasdaq, its longest losing streak since 2015. Investors watched for signs of an economic deceleration in […]

Tuesday was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the beginning of the astronomical summer. The day is thought of as the perfect time of year as Americans get as many as eight additional hours of sunlight relative to the shortest day of the year in December, and temperatures are mild relative […]

It has been a summer of volatility as markets officially plunged into bear territory on June 10 after a hotter-than-expected inflation report. On June 15, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced a 75 basis points (bps) increase to the benchmark interest rate – the largest since 1994. The Fed had originally telegraphed a series […]

A HUGE congratulations to our very own, Ali Criss-Kemp, CFP®, CDFA®! “The future of the wealth management industry is dynamic & diverse. We, as leaders, have the opportunity & duty to pave the way for ethical business ownership and a lifetime of service to all of our stakeholders : our clients, our team and our […]

The Markets (as of market close May 31, 2022) May was a volatile month for Wall Street. Stocks began May where April ended, with losses. In fact, it wasn’t until the last week of May that stocks posted gains. Throughout the month, investors had to face the prospects of an economic slowdown impacted by accelerating […]

From the Desk of Ernest Luoma, MS, CFP® Higher inflation has been in the headlines non-stop recently and it has become a problem for all of us. It is likely to remain much higher than normal for an extended period of time. Many people have an emergency fund or a large cash account set aside for various reasons […]