Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Dow and S&P Set Records, but Unemployment Still Rising

The economy seems poised to decelerate in coming weeks as data showed slowing economic improvement or outright reversals of the recovery. Income data was mixed. Disposable income fell 0.8% in October as government programs expired. Gains in employment pushed employee compensation up 0.7% as more people returned to work.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Rise in COVID-19 Cases Leads to Market Dip Before Holiday Shopping Season

Retail data were mixed last week. U.S. retail sales rose 0.3% in October and are now 5.7% higher than one year ago. But as Figure 1 shows, the increase was the smallest since the recovery began. Increased coronavirus cases in October likely pressured purchases lower and moved consumers online. Non-store retailers reported a 3.1% increase in sales.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Markets Respond Favorably to News of Second Vaccine’s Positive Results

Special Update A second COVID-19 vaccine announced very positive results in its initial trial. A biotechnology company announced Monday their COVID-19 vaccine was more than 94.5% effective. The study also showed there were few side effects observed in the vaccine trial. The effectiveness is very high and will likely give the world two vaccines to start protecting people in coming months.

Videos

How the Election Results Could Impact Your Financial Plan

Join Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, as he offers insight into Biden’s tax and retirement platforms. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Positive Results and Market Soars Even After Tight Election

Special Update The first COVID-19 vaccine to announce results reported very positive data early Monday morning. Two notable pharmaceutical and biotech companies announced on Monday their COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective. The study also showed there were no side effects observed in the vaccine trial. The effectiveness is higher than many medical experts expected and represents a major step forward in efforts to contain the virus. News on other vaccine trials is expected in coming weeks and months.

Blog

Choosing a Financial Advisor Should Be Easier Than Buying a Car

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Raise your hand if you like the experience of buying a car. I don’t know about you, but I did not raise my hand and I bet a lot of you didn’t either. However, I think the buying process is changing because of all the bad experiences people have had over the years. Technology now plays a major role in the experience of vehicle purchasing, as well as vehicle trade-in. I like to do a lot of my research on what I want to buy from a series of different sources from the...read the full article

Monthly Newsletters

Your Year-End Tax Checklist, Plus a Few Extras for 2020

A lot of us have been in the attic lately, putting away the ghosts and skeletons from Halloween and dusting off the holiday decorations. While you’re up there, can you find your year-end tax checklist?

Blog

How the Results of the Election Could Impact the Markets and Your Financial Plan

The votes have been cast and now it’s a waiting game. Our country now faces days of a counting, recounting, accusations, potential lawsuits and a runoff election or two. Only then will we know the results of the 2020 election.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Uncertainty with Election, Pandemic Cause 5.6% Drop in S&P 500.

Last week, markets moved less on the recovery of today and more on the uncertainty of tomorrow. U.S. GDP increased 33.1% (see Figure 1) after a massively negative report last quarter. Strong growth in consumer spending provided the biggest push to the overall economy. Earnings also continued to improve. Originally forecasted to drop 21.1%, strong earnings from internet-based businesses cut the expected dip to 9.8%.

Videos

Election and Investments

Join Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, as he discusses how the election may impact the direction of reform. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Insights

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