In February of 1968, Harry Belafonte, host of the Tonight Show on NBC, had Martin Luther King Jr. on as a guest. Below is a clip of Martin Luther King Jr. responding to a question from his host and the following quote: “The economic problem is probably the most serious problem confronting the Negro community, and, I might say, the most serious problem confronting poor people generally”. It’s no secret…
Many people have been caught off guard by the recent market volatility. Most have been surprised to see asset prices increase so quickly after hitting bottom in March. We’ve seen unexpected price movements before, but this was quite extreme given the fact that we are still very much in the middle of a pandemic, with no immediate end in site. What has been driving the recent recovery? Government intervention has…
A debate has been raging in this country, regarding the economic toll and public health toll that this pandemic has caused. The arguments range from concerns about an economic depression caused by mandatory government shutdowns, to concerns about our health care system being overwhelmed by sick patients and an untold number of unnecessary deaths occurring due to an unchecked COVID-19 virus. We believe it is a false narrative to say…
Are you close to turning 65? Did you just turn 65? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, and you haven’t considered your requirement to sign-up for Medicare, you could be in for some pain later. Unless you are covered by an employer plan at the time you turn 65, it’s important to realize you are required to enroll in Medicare. Or else… There is a 7…
If you contribute to a retirement account, then you should be interested to know that the IRS has increased the contribution limits for 2019. You may also be interested in knowing any restrictions on your ability to contribute. Lastly, did you know that once you reach the age of 50 you are usually allowed to make an additional contribution? This is known as a catch-up contribution. Contribution Limits Account Type…
It’s official. As of earlier this week, all three major indexes (Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq) all ended in correction territory. What is a correction? A correction is when the stock market experiences a 10% drop from it’s highs. Is it notable? Yes. Should it be worrisome? No. Let me explain. Over the last 50 years, the S&P 500 has entered into a correction 29 times. That is…
As we discussed on this blog over a year ago, repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act was a significant plank in President Trump’s election platform. Dodd-Frank was Congress’s legislative response to the 2007-2008 financial crisis; it substantially restructured federal oversight of the banking industry with the intent to reduce the chances of another liquidity and credit crisis. While a complete repeal of Dodd Frank was never really in the cards (some…
The global investment community has been focused on the recent vote by the UK to leave the European Union, broadly referred to as the “Brexit.” This historic event will have economic impacts on the UK and the European Union, as well as their trading partners. Unsurprisingly, equity markets experienced sharp declines in the days following Brexit and have since seen a significant rebound. If you haven’t already, please read…
