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Buckle up. Congress has passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a legislative casserole packed with tax changes, spending cuts, new deductions, and a few side plot twists for good measure. It’s part helpful, part confusing, and definitely something worth unpacking. So, what’s actually in this thing, and what could it mean for you and your finances? Let’s break it down. The Good Stuff 1. Permanent Tax Cuts The 2017 tax cuts are no longer temporary. Lower tax rates and a higher standard deducti
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Trump vs. Musk: The Battle of the Billionaire Egos In this month’s edition of “Why Is This News?”, we bring you a gem: Donald Trump and Elon Musk are feuding. It’s the kind of drama that makes you wonder if we accidentally merged politics, tech, and high school lunch tables. Will it shake the markets? Probably not. But if attention-seeking were an asset class, it’d be up 40% YTD. 📈 May Market Recap: Stronger than most analysts expected While headlines got weird, stocks had one of their best
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Wow, what a day! Markets shot up like a rocket on April 9, 2025, and we’re here to share the scoop, plus a heads-up on taxes as the clock ticks. Grab a coffee, and let’s chat! Markets Take Off The S&P 500 (think SPY) jumped 11% yesterday, from $493 to $549 by close, our wallets are smiling! Why? President Trump hit pause on most tariffs for 90 days, dropping them to 10% (except China, now at 125%). After a bumpy week, this news sparked a buying spree, stocks soared and we’re feeling the buzz,
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Like you, I’ve seen some eye-catching headlines lately — Wall Street has certainly had its fair share of excitement! Here are some quick thoughts followed by the Monthly Market Insights Newsletter. First, we heard that “Chinese Start-Up DeepSeek Threatens American Artificial Intelligence Dominance,” which sent tech stocks on a rollercoaster ride. Then came “Tariffs Could Impact Inflation,” shaking up U.S. stock prices and rattling financial markets worldwide. To put things in perspective, I’ve
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U.S. Markets Stocks rallied in January on upbeat Q4 corporate reports and solid economic news that quieted talk of an inflationary comeback. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led, tacking on 4.7 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index picked up 2.7 percent while the Nasdaq Composite added 1.64 percent.1 New Year’s Fears After a tech-led relief rally kicked off the New Year, markets then fell as a round of fresh economic data stoked inflationary fears.2 Investors also reacted to news t
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U.S. Markets Stocks notched solid gains in the first quarter as enthusiasm about artificial intelligence, signs of a soft landing, and dovish talk from the Fed buoyed investor confidence. For the quarter, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 5.62 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 10.16 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite picked up 9.11 percent.1 Rocky Start in Q1 Stocks saw modest gains in January as positive economic data (retail sales, gross domestic product [GDP] report) an
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U.S. Markets Stocks notched solid gains last month as upbeat corporate reports and investor enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence overshadowed the Fed’s next move with interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced by 2.22 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 5.17 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up by 6.12 percent.1 No Hurry Early in the month, Federal Chairman Powell stated that there was no hurry to change the Fed’s interest rate policy. In
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U.S. Markets Stocks saw modest gains last month as positive economic data and upbeat Q4 corporate reports helped support prices.1 The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.22 percent, while the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index gained 1.59 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which led throughout 2023, rose 1.02 percent. Bumpy Start It was not a straight line for stocks in January. As the month began, investors took a breath during the end-of-year rally to question the Federal Reserve’s next mo
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U.S. Markets Stocks moved higher in the final three months of the year as bond yields trended lower in growing anticipation of a potential Fed easing. For the three months ending on December 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 12.5 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index picked up more than 11 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which led throughout 2023, led again, tacking on nearly 14 percent.1 A Shaky Start As satisfying as the fourth quarter’s results were, the quarter began i
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U.S. Markets Stock prices surged last month as positive inflation data and falling bond yields emboldened investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 8.77 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 8.92 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which has led all year, picked up 10.70 percent.1 Inflation Eases, Bond Yields Fall The fears that have dragged on the stock market since August evaporated in November, as fresh inflation data reaffirmed continuing progress in the fight aga
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U.S. Markets Rising bond yields, geopolitical tensions, sticky inflation, and mixed earnings reports combined to push stocks lower last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.36 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index surrendered 2.20 percent. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.78 percent.¹ Rising Bond Yields Of the multiple headwinds that stocks battled last month, no two were stronger than rising bond yields and a fear of higher yields to come. Strong economic data throughout the
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U.S. Markets Stocks lost a portion of their first-half gains in the third quarter as a continued tight monetary bias from the Federal Reserve sent bond yields higher, unsettling stock investors throughout August and September. For the three months ending September 30, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 2.62 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 3.65 percent. The Nasdaq Composite fell 4.12 percent.¹ A July Rally Faded The strong price momentum during the first half of the
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U.S. Markets After sliding for much of last month on rising yields, credit rating downgrades, and economic weakness out of China, stocks staged a late-August rally to help reduce losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.36 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 1.77 percent. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.17 percent.¹ Another Weak August In recent years, August has had a reputation as a weak month for stocks. Since 1986, August stock market performance has ranked as the l
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U.S. Markets Stocks added to their strong year-to-date gains in July as investors observed decelerating inflation, better-than-expected corporate earnings, and healthy economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.35 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.11 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which has led all year, advanced 4.05 percent.¹ Positive Inflation Reports After a faltering start to the month, stocks rallied on favorable June inflation data. Consumer prices in
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U.S. Markets Stocks extended their rally in the second quarter, boosted by cooling inflation, the prospect of a shift in monetary policy, and enthusiasm over artificial intelligence. For the three months ending June 30, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 3.41 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index picked up 8.30 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which led in the first quarter, led again, gaining 12.81 percent.¹ Inflation Breaks The stock market’s climb over the course of the second qua
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U.S. Markets Stock prices were mixed as enthusiasm over the economic potential of artificial intelligence was offset by concerns about the federal debt ceiling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 3.49 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index notched a slight gain, adding 0.25 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up 5.80 percent.¹ The MSCI-EAFE Index slid 4.76 percent in May as Germany’s economy entered a recession and China’s most recent reopening efforts struggled.² European
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U.S. Markets The Dow Jones Industrial Average led, picking up 2.48 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.46 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite was flat (+0.04 percent).¹ Recession Watch While the start of the year revolved around the direction of Fed monetary policy, investors in April began to turn their focus toward the economic impact of the Fed’s year-long series of steep rate hikes. Throughout the month, growing fears of a recession were bolstered by weak economic data, anemi
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U.S. Markets Stocks posted solid gains in the first quarter as investors navigated corporate earnings, shifting monetary signals, and troubles in the banking sector. For the three months ending March 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.38 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 7.03 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up 16.77 percent.¹ January Stocks rallied in January, propelled by cooling inflation, a better-than-expected start to earnings season, and healthy e
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With October now finished we are heading into a period of strong seasonality to finish the year. Just three weeks ago stocks looked like they were on a broken elevator down and nothing could stop it. However, we finally found support at one of the critical moving averages and sure enough stocks rebounded as the buyers flocked in to support the markets. Since the bottom the markets are up almost 10% in a little over three weeks! This would qualify as an impressive snap back rally! With the marke
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This is the first post in a new blog series titled, "Personal Net Worth."  The aim here is pretty simple. I will look to share any topic/topics that are related to your personal net worth. I wanted to shed light on a different type of mortgage out there that may not be as well known as the traditional types.  As anyone who is self-employed can vouch:  obtaining a traditional mortgage can be challenging to say the least.  They want two years of tax returns first, and then copies of bank statem
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A good question I get all the time is whether or not to buy a fixer upper or something that is move in ready. From personal experience, there can be great value and wonderful investment opportunities to buying the "bad apple" in a good neighborhood.  However, you have to weigh some important factors.  First, do you have enough money to not only buy the place, but also to hire a contractor, support the cost of materials and most important of all: do you have the time? In real estate you can for
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