In this month’s recap: Stock prices notched solid gains as a strong start to the corporate earnings season fired up investors. Presented by Mary Beth Hofmeister, CFP ®, November 2021 U.S. Markets A strong corporate earnings season renewed investor enthusiasm for stocks and propelled the market to healthy gains in October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 5.84 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 6.91 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, surging 7.27 percent.1  Powerful One-Two Punch  After a difficult September, the markets rallied with a sense of conviction thanks to a string of positive economic reports and a strong start to earnings season. The encouraging succession of economic…

MONTHLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREESPRESENTED BY MARY BETH HOFMEISTER, CFP ® - NOVEMBER 2021 QUOTE OF THE MONTH  “The possible’s slow fuse is lit by the imagination.” -EMILY DICKINSON- IF THE SECURE ACT 2.0 BECOMES LAW, WHAT CHANGES? When the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act became law on January 1, 2020, it altered rules for retirement accounts with a goal of helping both retirees and pre-retirees. More rule changes might be ahead, because a legislative sequel, known popularly as SECURE Act 2.0, is now proceeding through Congress. The SECURE Act 2.0 would give retirement savers aged 62-64 the chance to make much larger "catch-up"…

In this month’s recap: Stocks hit some turbulence, turning cautious amid slowing economic growth, and policy debate in Washington. Presented by Mary Beth Hofmeister, CFP ®, October 2021 U.S. Markets The stock market hit a pocket of turbulence in September, with investors turning cautious amid Delta variant infections, slowing economic growth and ongoing policy debate in Washington. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.29 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 4.76 percent. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 5.31 percent.1 Sour Sentiment  Investor sentiment deteriorated throughout the month. Weighing on stocks was uncertainty about the Federal Reserve Bank’s tapering plans, the fiscal and tax policy proposals being debated in Washington,…

MONTHLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREESPRESENTED BY MARY BETH HOFMEISTER, CFP ® - OCTOBER 2021 QUOTE OF THE MONTH  “The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been.” ~MADELEINE L'ENGLE~ ROBOCALLS, ROBOTEXTS: PROTECT YOURSELF, AND YOUR MONEY Are you getting more unwanted text messages on your phone than you used to get? That is partly the result of a good thing – robocalls have declined. Robotexts, however, have increased. As robotexts bilked Americans out of $86 billion in 2020, you want to be wary of even the most innocuous messages coming your way. The number of robocalls fell by 29% from…

In this month’s recap: Stocks rallied, fueled by an improving labor market, strong corporate earnings, and clarity on Fed tapering plans. Presented by Mary Beth Hofmeister, CFP ®, September 2021 U.S. Markets Signs of an improving labor market, strong corporate earnings, and more clarity from the Fed on its tapering plans propelled stocks to multiple record highs during August.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.22 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 2.90 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up 4.00 percent.1 Corporate Earnings  Corporate profits in the second quarter were by all measures exceptional. With 98 percent of companies in the S&P 500 index reporting, 89 percent…

MONTHLY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREESPRESENTED BY MARY BETH HOFMEISTER, CFP ® - SEPTEMBER 2021 QUOTE OF THE MONTH  “Every laugh line, every scar, is a badge I wear to show I've been present, the inner rings of my personal tree trunk that I display proudly for all to see. Nowadays, I don't want a perfect face and body; I want to wear the life I've lived.” -PAT BENATAR- POSSIBLE CHANGES FOR CATCH-UP CONTRIBUTIONS Since 2002, Americans aged 50 and older have been permitted to make annual "catch-up" contributions to popular retirement accounts – but according to Vanguard’s 2021 How America Saves report, just 15% of retirement savers do.…

In this month’s recap: Stocks notched a solid gain as investors looked past higher inflation and new COVID-19 cases. Presented by Mary Beth Hofmeister, CFP ®, August 2021 U.S. Markets Last month, the stock market posted a solid gain, overcoming investors’ fears of higher inflation and an increase in COVID-19 cases.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 1.25 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 2.27 percent. The Nasdaq lagged, climbing 1.16 percent.1 A Wall of Worry  Climbing a wall of worry, investors weathered a choppy month as markets digested a jump in consumer prices and the continued spread of the Delta variant. Inflation, which has been an…