How Oil Prices Impact Inflation, the Fed and Markets
The stock market has become increasingly jittery with the S&P 500 experiencing its first 5% pullback of the year. The possibility the Fed could delay its first rate cut, declines in technology and artificial intelligence stocks, and tensions in the Middle East have all contributed to the market swoon. In uncertain market environments such as these, investors should remember that short-term market declines are a natural part of investing. Rather...
How Investors Can Navigate Market Pullbacks, Geopolitical Risk, and More
After a historically strong start to the year, markets have now pulled back 2.5% to begin the second quarter. Concerns around geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, inflation, corporate earnings, and other issues have led to a market decline, pushing the VIX index of stock market volatility to its highest level in six months. In times of market stress, it’s important for investors to maintain perspective on the critical issues...
How Tax Policy Affects the Stock Market
As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” Taxes are no one’s favorite topic but their importance cannot be overstated. Tax policy affects every aspect of our financial lives including how much of our paychecks, investment gains, and dividends we keep, in addition to directing our choices of retirement vehicles, estate planning considerations, and much more. This is why tax planning with the...
3 Market Insights for Investors in Q2 2024
2024 began with debates over a “soft” versus “hard” landing as the Fed attempted to stabilize the economy as well as over the sustainability of last year’s market rally. Only three months later, those concerns have given way to a calmer environment centered around fading inflation and the Fed’s plans for reducing interest rates. This has resulted in a strong market rally with the S&P 500 index, Dow Jones Industrial...