While most of us were enjoying the holidays, our friends in Washington were busy tinkering with traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). As you may have heard, Congress passed legislation late last year that changed …
Concerns About Oil
The Week on Wall Street Stocks descended from record highs Friday, as traders reacted to a U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's top military officer. Oil prices rose more than 3% following the breaking news.[1] Wall Street …
The Year in Review
What Drove the Markets? Four factors influenced investment performance in 2019: a shift in U.S. monetary policy, the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and China, earnings, and the economy. Stocks reached record highs in 2019. …
New IRS Contribution Limits: Changes for 2020
The IRS just increased the annual contribution limits on IRAs, 401(k)s, and other widely used retirement plan accounts for 2020. Here's a quick look at the changes. Next year, you can put up to $6,000 in any type of IRA. The limit …
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Budget Checkup: Tax Time Is the Right Time
Every year, more than 147 million Americans, just like you, file federal tax returns, according to the Tax Policy Center. Many of my clients often tell me how much they dread searching through their files to locate their mortgage, …
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Phase-One Trade Deal Reached
The Week on Wall Street The U.S. and China announced a limited trade agreement last week. That news lifted U.S. and foreign stocks, leading to weekly gains. Advancing 0.91% on the week, the Nasdaq Composite outperformed the …
Stocks Ride Out a Choppy Week
The Week on Wall Street Key Wall Street benchmarks were up and down last week - or rather down and then up. A Tuesday retreat was offset by a Friday rally spurred by the Department of Labor's November jobs report. While the …
November Concludes With Gains
The Week on Wall Street As November wrapped up, U.S. equity benchmarks advanced. Stocks were again aided by a sense of optimism that a preliminary U.S.-China trade deal could be near. For the week, the Nasdaq Composite added …