February 2025 Market Summary U.S. Stock Indices Post Modest Declines, Employment Situation Improves, and the Median Home Price Slides Further The Not-so-Magnificent Seven The Magnificent Seven stocks––Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), NVIDIA (NVDA), and Tesla (TSLA)–lifted the market higher in 2023 and 2024, combining for a 156.1% return over […]

Why Treasury Yield Are Rising in February 2025? In February, Treasury yields have experienced an upward trajectory as investors respond to higher-than-anticipated inflation data and concerns over proposed U.S. import tariffs. The 10-year Treasury yield, a critical benchmark for fixed-income investors, has risen to 4.56%, reflecting market adjustments to these economic indicators. Let’s dive into some key […]

What Trump’s Plan to Stop Minting Pennies Means for Consumers President Trump said Sunday that he had asked the U.S. Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies, part of an effort to cut down on what he called wasteful government spending. His remarks revived a long-running debate over whether to get rid of the smallest […]

January 2025 Market Summary Equities Stocks Drive Higher, Gold Soars to New All-Time High, Treasury Yields Largely Unchanged Equities got off to a strong start in 2025 with positive performances in January. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.8%, the S&P 500 advanced 2.8% and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.7%. Large-cap Value had the best month among Russell 1000 and Russell 2000 equity styles, […]

Trump’s 2025 Executive Actions: How They Could Affect Financial Markets Introduction: Policy and Markets in 2025 Executive actions often serve as a window into a president’s policy priorities, and for financial markets, these decisions can be transformative. In 2025, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive actions that are already influencing the U.S. economy […]

Estate Planning and 529 Plans When you contribute to a 529 plan, you’ll not only help your child, grandchild, or other loved one pay for school, but you’ll also remove money from your taxable estate. This will help you minimize your tax liability and preserve more of your estate for your loved ones after you […]

December 2024 Market Summary: Stocks End 2024 on a Mixed Note, Fed Cuts Interest Rate, Bond Funds Rise as Yield Fall Equities Overview Equities posted mixed results in December to close out 2024. The price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 5.1% as UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Sherwin-Williams (SHW), and Caterpillar (CAT) all posted double-digit declines in December. The market […]

Members of the Military: Estate Planning Whether you’re a veteran or just starting out in the military, planning and preparing your estate is of vital importance. Why is estate planning so critical? Because, at your death, you leave behind the people you love and all your worldly goods. Without proper planning, you have no say […]

The S&P 500 Just Crossed 6,000. What’s Next? The S&P 500 took over headlines on a Monday in mid-November when it closed above 6,000 points for the first time. From humble beginnings at just 16.66 points in January 1950, the widely-followed benchmark index has traveled far in the almost 75 years since, generating incredible wealth […]

November 2024 Market Summary: Stocks Rally, Home Sales Collapse, Bond Funds Appreciate The S&P 500’s Journey to 6,000 The S&P 500 crossed 6,000 for the first time on November 11th, 2024. This is the second 1,000-point milestone to take place in the same year, as the index hit the 5,000-point mark back in February. It took the […]