Investment
July 4, 2020
Independence Day, July 4th, 2020 Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is the United States of America. I was born on July 4, 1776, conceived in freedom and liberty. That freedom has brought millions to my shores to cast their lot with me. It has also given human incentive its widest scope. Now, just 244 years later, I am a diverse, multilingual country that is bound together by a single language, English. The dominant language of the business world, of the Internet world, and the second language for most of the world. Who would have believed that 60% of the world’s […]
July 2, 2020
A report from First Trust Advisors, L.P.: A resurgence of new Coronavirus cases around the country has created uncertainty for investors. Stock markets fell last week, not because of the virus, but because investors fear another round of economy-killing, government-mandated lockdowns. We don’t expect that to happen, but when the government is involved, risks are definitely higher. After the peak in early April, the seven-day moving average for new cases bottomed on June 9 at 21,282. Since then, they’ve surged, hitting 39,662 per day in the seven days through yesterday. That’s an 86% increase in only 19 days. (Daily volatility […]
January 16, 2020
2010-11: Aftershocks of the Great Recession The best way to see how much can change in a decade is to remember how things were at the end of the last one. In 2010, we were coming off the worst decade for stocks since the 1930s. The Great Recession had devastated the retirement savings of millions of people. Many of the world’s most famous financial institutions had collapsed. And the national unemployment rate was near 10%.1 It was a scary and uncertain time. Many investors had fled the markets entirely by 2010, some for good. As a result, they missed a […]
July 1, 2019
When you are sitting around your dinner table, having tough conversations about your legacy, your children’s future, and how to plan for what’s ahead, don’t forget about the ball of fur at your feet, waiting for the next crumb to drop! 68% of U.S. households have a pet, and as pet owners ourselves, we understand that a dog, bird, or even a herd of cats, are considered part of the family! No matter how many things Fido chews up, you love him all the same. So what does Fido’s future look like when you’re gone? Include your pet in your […]
