The first half of 2022 has been extremely challenging for markets and investors of all types, generating numerous attention-grabbing statistics and headlines along the way. Depending on your chosen metric, the past two quarters have been among the worst in more than 30, 40, or even 50 years of market…
Inflation and your portfolio: what's your required rate of return?
With supply chain strains exacerbating by the day and labor market tightness persisting, inflation is on the minds of investors and economists everywhere, as the global economy tries to find a "new normal" in a post-pandemic world. Until recently, most analysts expected that the above-average inflation rates from this spring…
Are inflation fears justified?
After a year marked by pandemic-related closures, lockdowns, and economic pain, the story so far in 2021 has been one of recovery. With COVID vaccines now widely available, restrictions have been removed throughout the country, and the result has been a much faster economic recovery than just about any expert…
Tax policy and the election
In our July newsletter, we wrote briefly about the potential for changes in tax law, especially in light of the approaching presidential election and the rapid fiscal expansion that took place in 2020 in response to COVID-19. As we near Election Day, tax issues have become even more of a…
What about real estate?
As stock markets tumbled in February and March, real estate was similarly impacted, but the recovery in that sector has been generally weaker (and arguably even more uneven) than the recovery in the broader stock market. On the positive side, mortgage rates have plunged once again to historic lows, and…
Confronting Sudden Losses
For a month that typically inspires thoughts of rebirth, renewal, and a celebration of life, this March brought quite the opposite. As the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, gradually took over the national conversation—first as a belated recognition that the United States would not be spared, then as a rapidly cascading subordination…
U.S. and China Reach "Phase One" Trade Deal
In addition to the continued cuts to short-term interest rates, a large driving force behind the stock market’s strong Q4 performance was the expectation (and subsequent completion) of an agreement between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on a “Phase One” trade deal, which was necessary to avoid a…
The Manufacturing Renaissance Has Not Arrived
When President Trump initiated the first round of tariffs against China in 2018, the ostensible purpose was to level the playing field in a way that would support the long-suffering American manufacturing sector, which had been a clear victim of decades of globalization and increased international trade. But as the…
Open Enrollment is Coming
As the fourth quarter begins and our pumpkin-spice-fueled thoughts begin drifting toward the busy upcoming holiday season, it’s hardly surprising that many of us fail to give our workplace benefits the attention they deserve. Indeed, with another open enrollment season right around the corner, employee benefits provider Unum warns that…
Making Money and Marriage Mix
Maintaining a happy marriage is always a bit of a balancing act: two individuals come into a relationship from distinct backgrounds, each having developed his or her own attitudes toward work, family, money, and how to prioritize their goals. Perhaps not surprisingly, financial matters are among the most contentious issues…
