Despite the unsustainability of the 2016-2018 stock market run, many bullish analysts and investors still think that there is room left for markets to rally. The unease of the past few months that has seen the Dow lose over 2,000 points from its all-time highs is, to their minds, just a temporary correction, a speed bump on the way...
Investing money make many people nervous. Especially when your life savings are at stake, the thought of losing any money, let alone thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, is enough to make you think twice about putting any of your assets at risk. But investment ultimately is necessary in order to build up wealth. Sticking money under a...
The millennial generation has become the largest generational cohort in the United States. Much ink has been spilled trying to analyze millennials and their behavior. While many of the characterizations of millennials tend to focus on personality traits and work ethic, there’s no question that millennials are vastly different from generations that preceded them. They aren’t making as much money...
Many American households have their wealth tied up in their houses. For many Americans across all different income levels, the value of their houses exceeds the value of all their other financial assets. There is also a history in the United States of home ownership being recommended as a sure way of becoming wealthy, or at least financially comfortable....
The latest employment figures reported by the Department of Labor came in well under expectations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 148,000 new jobs were created in December, well below the 190,000 that had been expected by economists. Not only was the figure disappointing in and of itself, but it was also well below the figures from November. Particularly...
If you’ve noticed prices at the pump rising over the past few weeks, you’re not alone. Gas prices have recovered from their normal post-Labor Day slump and are now higher than they were just a few weeks ago, and anywhere from 8 to 32 cents more per gallon than they were a year ago. High oil prices are to...
There has been a lot of hand-wringing about the effects of the newly-enacted tax reform bill. While most households will see a significant cut in their tax payments, there will be many households who will see their taxes increase. Most of that is due to caps being placed on mortgage interest deductions and deductions for state and local taxes,...
The majority of American households should see a gain in the amount of money they’re allowed to keep under the recently passed tax reform plan. Because of the lowering of tax rates, the expanded thresholds for tax brackets, and the doubling of the standard deduction, many households can expect hundreds or even thousands of dollars in reduced taxes next...
Deutsche Bank’s chief international economist recently published a list of the top 30 risks to financial markets in 2018. While many of them are only of importance to sophisticated financial investors who take positions on certain market movements, some of the bigger picture issues could cause broader risks to the market that could affect Mom & Pop investors. Here...
401(k) accounts have become one of the most popular savings plans for employees looking to save for their retirement. Of the $26.6 trillion in retirement assets held by Americans, $5.1 trillion are held in 401(k) accounts. Even though only about 14% of employers are estimated to offer a 401(k) plan, 79% of Americans work for an employer that offers...
