More Articles
-
Slick TV ads often make financial planning and wealth management sound simple, but it’s usually not. Managing wealth requires knowing a lot about highly technical topics, like taxes, government regulations, and finance as well as history, psychology and how to communicate with loved ones about sensitive issues. This article highlights some of the knowledge needed to manage wealth and why it’s often so daunting without the help of an independent personal financial advisor who is familiar with your situation.
-
Understanding The Federal Reserve Mandate To End Inflation
The Federal Reserve System, the nation’s central bank, has a dual mandate to pursue maximum employment and maintain price stability. These two priorities are currently treated equally, but that was not always the case. In fact, the Fed’s bias toward maximizing employment was a critical driver of the stagflation that plagued the U.S. in the late 1960s and 1970s. Recognizing the need to balance price stability and maximum employment, in 1977, Congress revised the Federal Reserve Act.
-
Fed Governor Kugler Details Inflation And Economic Outlook
The 12-month inflation rate, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, was 2.6% in December, down from its peak of 7.1% in June 2022, and the six-month rate for PCE inflation was even lower, at 2%, which is the target rate set by the Federal Reserve.
-
Why Rates May Not Be Cut Until June
The cost of a loan to buy a home, car, college education, and achieve the American Dream is staying the same for now. As expected, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank did not lower loan rates following the Fed’s Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, policy meeting.
-
Practical Suggestions For Achieving Your 2024 Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions usually fail because they‘re often too hard to achieve. After six months, only 10% of people who make resolutions achieve them or remain committed to them, , according to a study by Dr. Mark Griffiths, a Chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioral Addiction at the Nottingham Trent University. What can you do to make financial, medical, or other personal resolutions more likely to be achieved?
-
A Sign Of Progress In Solving U.S. Economic Problems
The Federal Reserve appears to be pulling off a feat most experts did not believe it could: ending its aggressive inflation-fighting campaign of 11 interest rate hikes without tipping the U.S. economy into a recession.
-
Fed Keeps Rates Unchanged; Expects Easing In 2024
To promote transparency and free markets, the Federal Reserve System began publishing the opinions of the 19 U.S. central bankers that decide interest rate policy.
-
Have You Logged Into Your Social Security Account?
Have you logged in to your Social Security account? Creating an online account at SSA.gov is an important first step in understanding your retirement income situation. However, only about 60 million of the 160 million individuals in the U.S. labor force who have Social Security accounts have created a way to access the Social Security Administration’s website.
-
The Great Fake Out Of 2023 Is Poised To Extend Into 2024
All year long, the economy and stock prices have fooled experts and consumers, outperforming expectations month after month.
-
Test Your Financial Planning IQ
The five questions below are a challenge meant to allow you to assess your knowledge of investing, tax and financial planning. If you have been following our news stream, this quiz draws on familiar ground. The answers are below.
- Read More
Planning Briefs
Growth Of The Consumer Class And The Investment Outlook
Published Thursday, February 6, 2020 at: 7:00 AM EST
Friday, February 14, 2020 - Whatever your views on income inequality, the trend toward a larger and wealthier middle-class is good for consumer spending, which drives 70% of the economy. For investors, that's positively fundamental.
Income distribution data in this chart won't answer all the complex questions surrounding income inequality but are useful in understanding this key fundamental economic trend, which drives the investment outlook.
The three lines show the distribution of household income at 20-year intervals: 1978, 1998, and 2018. The black line is evidence that growth in the number of households with $100,000 to $149,999 in income accelerated over the last 20 years, and sharply from 1978.
The proportion of U.S. households with between $50,000 and $74,999 in income dropped because there are many more households making $100,000 to $149,999 and up, changing the character of the middle class. The U.S. had fewer middle-income households in 2018 because we had more higher-income households. In addition, a percentage of the total number of U.S. households in the lowest income brackets declined.
(U.S. Census Bureau income estimates are based solely on income before taxes and do not include non-cash benefits such as food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, public housing, and employer-provided fringe benefits.)
The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. It is a market-value weighted index with each stock's weight proportionate to its market value. Index returns do not include fees or expenses. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.?? Return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate, and when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance statistics quoted here may be lower or higher now.
Nothing contained herein is to be considered a solicitation, research material, an investment recommendation or advice of any kind., and it is subject to change without notice. Any investments or strategies referenced herein do not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific person. The material represents an assessment of financial, economic and tax law at a specific point in time and is not ??a guarantee of future results.
© 2024 Advisor Products Inc. All Rights Reserved.