The real rate of return is an important personal finance concept to understand. It’s the rate of return on your investments after inflation. The real rate of return indicates whether you are gaining or losing purchasing power with your money. So with inflation checking in at a 5% annual rate, does that mean any investment… Read More
Inflation is defined as the general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy. The keyword is “general.” Inflation tends to be uneven and affects the price of some items more than others. If you’ve been in the market for a used car, you’ve learned a critical economic lesson about the “uneven” side… Read More
Recently, you may have seen headlines regarding the Securing a Strong Retirement Act, also referred to as the second version of the SECURE Act, or SECURE Act 2.0. As the bill moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate, many hopeful investors are anticipating further retirement support as the majority of the bill stems… Read More
Over Memorial Day weekend, gasoline prices hit the highest for this holiday weekend since 2014.1 With the Colonial Pipeline outage in the rear-view mirror and an ever-increasing number of adults vaccinated, formerly cooped-up motorists made the most of what America has to offer. The average price jumped to $3.04 per gallon ($1.08 higher than last… Read More
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) released the minutes of its April meeting last week. The report suggested that should the economy continue to make progress, it may be time to adjust the pace of the Fed’s monthly bond purchase program. With inflation appearing to accelerate, this is the first sign that the Fed is… Read More
Inflation can be a scary word for people who are retired. It’s code for “prices are going up, but my income may stay the same.” The most recent reading on consumer prices put inflation back into the conversation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.8% in April 2021 and jumped by a greater-than-expected 4.2% year-over-year.1 … Read More
The San Diego Padres signed infielder Fernando Tatis, Jr., to a 14-year, $340 million contract roughly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers inked outfielder Mookie Betts to a 12-year, $365 million deal. That brings the total to 8 baseball players who have signed long-term, $300+ million contracts according to CBSSports.com. From an estate strategy… Read More
Financial options and planning are as broad as individual personalities. There are truly as many choices as there are individuals. This is the reason financial planning is an art in itself. Each financial plan must meet the needs of the individual client and their goals. The financial world can be confusing and offer solutions that… Read More
Investors looking for “green shoots” to confirm that the economy is on the mend have seen plenty of examples in recent weeks. Retail sales rose 9.8% in March, the largest monthly gain since May 2020. It’s important to remember that purchases at stores, restaurants, and online are among the biggest drivers of overall economic activity.… Read More
Among the many changes arising from the pandemic, one of the most noticeable was a change in American spending habits. A survey released in March 2021 by Pew Research shows that Americans have increasingly chosen to put away what extra money they have rather than invest. It spreads across all income levels, with a 32%… Read More