Thursday, February 13, 2020
Currency of Love In the spirit of Valentine’s Day we are going to discuss a different type of investing – investing in relationships, specifically our loved ones. What is the balance of your bank account? How about the rate...
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Wednesday, January 8, 2020
New Year's Resolutions So what’s it going to be this year? Have you made a New Year’s resolution this year? Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? The custom has roots in...
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The Markets (as of market close December 13, 2019) Positive developments finally arrived in the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. Last Friday, President Trump announced phase one of a trade deal with China. The...
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The Markets (as of market close December 6, 2019) Market performance was uneven last week, culminating in some of the benchmark indexes closing in the black while a few lost value by week's end. A strong jobs report and guarded...
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
It's that time of year. Time to reflect and raise a cheer. We would love to see you in person, during this holiday season! Please join us at our Christmas Open House.
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The Markets (as of market close November 29, 2019) The holiday-shortened week was a good one for investors as they were encouraged by the growing likelihood of "phase one" in the resolution of the trade war between China and the...
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Back in 1621, when the Wampanoag Nation and Pilgrams sat down and had a feast together, it was about much more than a simple meal. It was about two groups of individuals working together and celebrating a harvest. The Wampanoag and...
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The Markets (as of market close November 22, 2019) The market's run of weekly gains ended last week as each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value. Once again, trade concerns may have prompted investors to pull back from...
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The Markets (as of market close November 15, 2019) The large caps of the Dow and S&P 500 surged last week. The Dow reached 28000 for the first time in its history while the S&P 500 posted solid gains for the sixth consecutive week....
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Monday, November 18, 2019
A Wealth of Thanks We are so fortunate to live in the United States. This year I traveled to Africa and was able to see firsthand the disparity and the reality of poverty. For a time in my career, I lived in Mexico. There again, the...
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The Markets (as of market close November 8, 2019) The Dow hit a new record high last week, and each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted solid gains as investors received encouraging news on the trade front. Both the United...
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Saturday, November 9, 2019
On the 11th month, at the 11th day, on the 11th hour in 1918, the deadliest war in world history ended. It is estimated that between 15 to 19 million soldiers died on both sides of the conflict.
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Wednesday, November 6, 2019
This is the first article in a series expressing gratitude Someone has said that if you want to find gratitude, look for it in the dictionary. I would imagine all of us, if we were honest, would confess that we complain, and gripe more...
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The Markets (as of market close November 1, 2019) A better-than-expected jobs report and strong third-quarter earnings from some major companies drove stock prices higher for the fourth consecutive week. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq...
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
As Fire Prevention Month comes to a close, we want to remind you to take a moment to think about fire safety. The purpose of Fire Prevention Month is to raise awareness or remind us about fire safety and help ensure your home and...
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The Markets (as of market close October 25, 2019) Solid corporate earnings reports and encouraging signs on the trade war front spurred stocks higher last week. The S&P 500 reached its second highest closing value by last Friday,...
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The Markets (as of market close October 18, 2019) For the second week in a row, each of the benchmark indexes listed here (except for the Dow) posted gains last week. Stocks got a boost from some strong third-quarter earnings reports...
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The Markets (as of market close October 11, 2019) Last week, President Trump said the United States and China had reached a "substantial, phase-one" agreement to resolve the trade war between the economic giants. Essentially, the...
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Thursday, October 10, 2019
Life is an evolution – and today I will tell you how I have evolved Have any of you had a day in your life when something happened to you that changed your life forever? I have had several very significant days, some good, some...
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The Markets (as of market close October 4, 2019) Stocks and long-term bond yields fell again last week as fears of an economic slowdown, both here and abroad, worried investors. Despite a solid labor report, unfavorable reports from...
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Wednesday, October 2, 2019
“Your position has been eliminated.” This phrase has become all too common. Each year about 20 million Americans lose their job through layoffs - more than 1 out of 10. The reasons vary and most of the time have little to...
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The Markets (as of market close September 27, 2019) Each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value for the second consecutive week, with the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Nasdaq sinking to levels not seen since August. Investors...
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Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Don't get denied by your medical provider. Make sure you have the new Medicare card. The deadline is ...
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The Markets (as of market close September 20, 2019) Following three consecutive weekly gains, stocks closed down last week. Despite another drop in interest rates, news that a Chinese delegation involved in trade negotiations would be...
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The Markets (as of market close September 13, 2019) Stocks continue to rebound from their August declines, posting gains for the third week in a row. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here increased in value, led by the small caps...
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The Markets (as of market close September 6, 2019) Stocks climbed last week following positive rhetoric from high-ranking Chinese officials who plan to meet for another round of trade discussions in Washington next month. This is...
Read MoreCOUNTDOWN TO COLLEGE Tip: Parlez-vous Francais? Many universities like to see multiple years of foreign language on a transcript. Source: Collegeapps.about.com, March 11, 2016 Most parents want to give their children the best...
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The Markets (as of market close August 30, 2019) Stocks rebounded last week after China's Ministry of Commerce indicated that China had no immediate intention to respond to President Trump's latest threat of an additional round of...
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
If a Roth is good why not look at the Mega Roth? We have been fans of the Roth IRA for most savers for many years because they grow tax free. Unfortunately, the IRS limits who can contribute to a Roth IRA and they also limit how much...
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The Markets (as of market close August 23, 2019) Stock gains enjoyed earlier last week were lost by week's end on ramped-up trade war rhetoric from the White House. Stocks surged earlier in the week on favorable earnings reports from...
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The Markets (as of market close August 16, 2019) Volatility is the best term to describe stocks last week. Despite a Friday surge, each of the benchmark indexes listed here fell for the third consecutive week. Wednesday proved to be...
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The Markets (as of market close August 9, 2019) Fearful that the ongoing trade war between the United States and China could slow economic growth at home and abroad, investors have pulled money from stocks and adopted a "wait-and-see"...
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The Markets (as of market close August 2, 2019) Not even a strong labor report could save stocks from tumbling last week, likely in response to President Trump's tweet that he intended to raise tariffs on an additional $300 billion...
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The Markets (as of market close July 26, 2019) Strong earnings reports plus a favorable gross domestic product report were enough to boost stocks last week. The S&P 500 notched a new record high last week, as did the Nasdaq. The GDP...
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The Markets (as of market close July 19, 2019) Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed last week in the red. Energy stocks dropped as oil prices fell. Stocks in communication services and transportation also declined,...
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The Markets (as of market close July 12, 2019) Both the Dow and the S&P 500 reached new record highs last week. The Dow surged past 27000 for the first time, while the S&P 500 surpassed the 3000 threshold. Anticipated testimony from...
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The Markets (as of market close July 5, 2019) Last week, June's labor report was strong enough to likely prompt the Fed to hold interest rates at their current level (and forestall a rate cut). Feeding off the latest labor figures,...
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The Markets (as of market close June 28, 2019) With a strong close last Friday, stocks recovered most of the losses endured earlier last week. Only the Russell 2000 posted a weekly gain, and has climbed over 16% year-to-date. The...
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The Markets (as of market close June 21, 2019) Stocks enjoyed another week of strong growth as investors were encouraged by the Fed's decision to keep interest rates unchanged and hope for a resolution to the ongoing trade war between...
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The Markets (as of market close June 14, 2019) While not as robust as the prior week, stocks still managed to post gains for the second week in a row. Last week started off with a bang for the benchmark indexes listed here, only to...
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The Markets (as of market close June 7, 2019) Markets rebounded nicely last week on hopes that the Federal Reserve Board will cut interest rates in the near future. Early in the week, chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed was closely...
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Treasury yields fell to their lowest level in 2019, gold prices soared, oil prices fell, trade tensions wore on investors' nerves, and stocks fell again last week. Mounting trade tensions between the United States and China, an...
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The Markets (as of market close May 24, 2019) With last week's loss, the Dow suffered its longest weekly losing streak since 2011. Trade tensions between the United States and China seem to be taking a toll on investors' patience....
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The Markets (as of market close May 17, 2019) Investors were heading for the hills early last week as stocks suffered their worst day on Monday following China's announcement that it would impose an additional $60 billion in...
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The Markets (as of market close May 10, 2019) Only a late rally last Friday saved the benchmark indexes from their worst week of the year. As it was, each of the indexes listed here fell at least 2.12%, with the Global Dow and the...
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The Markets (as of market close May 3, 2019) Stocks "labored" for much of last week only to rally following a strong employment report. That report, coupled with the Fed holding interest rates steady, gave investors the confidence to...
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The Markets (as of market close April 26, 2019) The S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached record highs last week on the heels of an unexpectedly strong GDP report. Tech shares got a boost from strong quarterly earnings reports from a major...
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The Markets (as of market close April 19, 2019) Stocks moved very little during the holiday-shortened week (markets were closed in observance of Good Friday). The large caps of the Dow inched up a little over 0.5%, while the S&P 500...
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Gail Murdoch, CFP, President of Cardinal Investment Group, welcomes David DeRosa to the firm where he will serve as a financial advisor. David DeRosa joins Cardinal Investment Group in Conway Cardinal Investment Group has announced...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close April 12, 2019) Trading was fairly light last week as investors await the start of quarterly corporate earnings reports. With several large corporations reporting lower-than-expected profits, investors...
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The Markets (as of market close April 5, 2019) Stocks marked a second consecutive week of solid gains, led by the small caps of the Russell 2000 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq. The S&P 500 recorded seven consecutive days of gains through...
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The Markets (as of market close March 29, 2019) Stocks rebounded last week to close the final week of March and the first quarter of 2019 in the black. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here gained over 1.0% for the week, except...
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The Markets (as of market close March 22, 2019) Last week started well for investors as stock indexes continued to climb on the heels of the prior week's robust performance. However, reports of a weakening global economy prompted a...
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The Markets (as of market close Mar. 15, 2019) Tech shares were bullish last week, leading the way for what turned out to be a very strong performance in the market. The tech-heavy Nasdaq outperformed each of the other benchmark...
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The Markets (as of market close March 8, 2019) The benchmark indexes listed here suffered their worst showing last week since December. Hardest hit was the Russell 2000, which fell over 4.0%. Unsettling global economic news had...
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The Markets (as of market close March 1, 2019) The momentum stocks have enjoyed since the beginning of the year waned some last week as investors took time to consider economic and trade developments. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained the...
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The Markets (as of market close Feb. 22, 2019) The benchmark indexes listed here posted modest gains last week, led by the small caps of the Russell 2000. With another weekly gain, the Dow has enjoyed its longest streak in almost 25...
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The Markets (as of market close February 15, 2019) Stocks extended their streak last week, as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains of atleast 2.0%. Positive developments in the trade talks between the United States...
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The Markets (as of market close February 8, 2019) Most of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains for the seventh consecutive week. Only the Global Dow lagged behind. Utilities and information technology shares performed well...
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The Markets (as of market close Feb. 1, 2019) The benchmark indexes listed here rose for the week, particularly last Wednesday and Thursday. Strong corporate earnings reports, especially in the communication services sector, helped...
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The Markets (as of market close Jan. 25, 2019) Last week did not start off well in the market. However, stocks rebounded on Friday, recouping much of the value lost earlier in the week. Nevertheless, stocks ended last week relatively...
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The Markets (as of market close Jan. 18, 2019) Rhetoric that trade tensions between the United States and China may be easing helped quell investors’ concerns, prompting a stock market rally last week. The large caps of the S&P...
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The Markets (as of market close Jan. 11, 2019) For the third straight week, stocks posted positive returns by the close of last week. Each of the indexes listed here gained at least 2.40%, with the small caps of the Russell 2000...
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The Markets (as of market close Jan. 4, 2019) Stocks posted solid gains by the close of the first week of the new year. A favorable jobs report helped push the benchmark indexes listed here higher last Friday, as stocks recovered from...
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The Markets (as of market close Dec. 28, 2018) A crazy week of market swings finally closed with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting gains for the first time in three weeks. Christmas Eve (Monday) saw stocks drop...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close Dec. 21, 2018) The tech-heavy Nasdaq had been the only benchmark index to have exceeded its 2017 closing value. That is no longer the case, as an 8.36% drop last week put the Nasdaq more than 8.0% below...
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The Markets (as of market close Dec. 14, 2018) A market correction refers to a decline in a stock or index of at least 10% following a temporary high price. After last week’s losses, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq are entering...
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The Markets (as of market close Dec. 7, 2018) Losses in technology and health-care stocks accounted for much of last week’s market drop. The tech-heavy Nasdaq and the small caps of the Russell 2000 suffered the largest declines,...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close Nov. 23, 2018) Trading volume may have been slower than usual during the Thanksgiving holiday week, but that didn’t stop the downward spiral for stocks. Tumbling oil prices, which fell to their...
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The Markets (as of market close Nov. 23, 2018) Trading volume may have been slower than usual during the Thanksgiving holiday week, but that didn’t stop the downward spiral for stocks. Tumbling oil prices, which fell to their...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close Nov. 16, 2018) Volatility best describes last week in the market, as each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value. Apparently, investors may be having trepidations about ongoing business growth...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close Nov. 2, 2018) Stocks posted a solid week of returns for the first time in several weeks, pulling all but one of the major benchmark indexes listed here into positive territory for the year to date. A...
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The Markets (as of market close Oct. 26, 2018) The benchmark indexes suffered another sharp decline last week. Each of the indexes listed here lost value, led by the Global Dow. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq could be nearing a correction...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close October 19, 2018) After a sweat-inducing ride on Wall Street last week, several earnings reports helped ease some of the pain in domestic large caps by Friday’s close. The Dow managed to see a 0...
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The Markets (as of market close October 12, 2018) Despite a surge at the end of the week, stocks plummeted last week. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value, led by the small caps of the Russell 2000, which fell over 5...
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The Markets (as of market close Oct. 5, 2018) Another tough week on Wall Street as stocks and long-term bond prices fell, pushing yields higher. While each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value last week, the large caps of...
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The Markets (as of market close Sept. 28, 2018) Rising interest rates and ramped-up trade wars put a damper on stocks last week. While not unanticipated, the Fed raised the federal funds target rate 25 basis points and intimated that...
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The Markets (as of market close Sept. 21, 2018) Performance of the benchmark indexes listed here was a mixed bag last week. Large caps of the Dow and S&P 500 outperformed the tech stocks of the Nasdaq and the small caps of the Russell...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close Sept. 14, 2018) Tech and foreign stocks led the way as the market rebounded from the prior week’s decline. The prospect of renewed trade talks between China and the United States eased investor...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close September 7, 2018) Apparently a strong labor report, which included increasing wages, wasn’t enough to quell investors’ fears as stocks plummeted last week. President Trump’s threat to...
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The Markets (as of market close August 24, 2018) Despite a week that included yet more tariff trepidations and negative headlines on the political front, investors celebrated last Friday as several indexes hit new highs. The S&P 500...
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The Markets (as of market close August 17, 2018) The large caps of the Dow and S&P 500 got a boost from a tentative agreement between the United States and China to settle their trade dispute by November. Strong corporate earnings...
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The Markets (as of market close August 10, 2018) Despite the continued strength shown in corporate earnings reports, investors reeled in their enthusiasm last week, sending the large caps of both the S&P 500 and the Dow plummeting....
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close August 3, 2018) Tech and mid-cap stocks performed best last week following strong second-quarter corporate earnings reports. Led by the Nasdaq, each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close July 27, 2018) Tech stocks and small caps took a hit last week as both the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 lost value. The large caps of both the S&P 500 and the Dow closed in positive territory following a...
Read MoreThe Markets (as of market close July 20, 2018) Last week stocks held their own for the most part, with the Dow and S&P 500 posting marginal gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell slightly, while the small caps of the Russell 2000 gained...
Read MoreStocks posted gains for the second week in a row following some good corporate earnings reports. Each of the indexes listed here improved, except for the small caps of the Russell 2000, which dipped less than a half a point....
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The Markets (as of market close July 6, 2018) A positive labor report may have been enough to offset investor concerns about the tit-for-tat tariff war between the United States and its trade partners as stocks posted positive returns...
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