Chart of the Month – Sept 2022
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, gas prices spiked to a nationwide peak of $5.02/gallon on June 13, 2022. Since then, the price of gas has been coming down, but the discussions about it have not slowed at all.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, gas prices spiked to a nationwide peak of $5.02/gallon on June 13, 2022. Since then, the price of gas has been coming down, but the discussions about it have not slowed at all.
The current state of the housing market has left many puzzled. In a scenario where interest rates are soaring, one would naturally anticipate a decline in housing prices. Surprisingly, this anticipated correction has yet to occur.
Housing affordability is trending in the wrong direction. Take a look at our chart of the month showing housing affordability over the last 50 years.
Investors are always on the lookout, it seems, for new and profitable ways to help make their dollars work for them. One that has come up quite often on our clients’ radars recently is Series I Bonds (or just I Bonds).
"Why would anyone buy a 5-year bond at 3.5% when you could get a 1-year bond at 4%?"
"Why don't I put all my money in a 4-month T-bill and make 4.9%?"
There are nearly two job openings for every unemployed worker with labor statistics showing 11.4 million job openings compared to 5.9 unemployed workers as of April 30, 2022. This mismatch between jobs and workers means that workers have options, including leverage to ask for more pay.
In investing, a key consideration is the time horizon. There is a general perception that investing is a risky proposition, but this risk can be mitigated by holding investments for longer periods.
Market declines are never enjoyable in the moment. But these kinds of intra-year pull backs are normal when looking at market history.
Sooner or later, we're likely going to see demand cool off. The big question is how quickly inflation alters consumer spending and how quickly that pulls back inflation.
Investors are always on the lookout, it seems, for new and profitable ways to help make their dollars work for them. One that has come up quite often on our clients’ radars recently is Series I Bonds (or just I Bonds).
"Why would anyone buy a 5-year bond at 3.5% when you could get a 1-year bond at 4%?"
"Why don't I put all my money in a 4-month T-bill and make 4.9%?"
There are nearly two job openings for every unemployed worker with labor statistics showing 11.4 million job openings compared to 5.9 unemployed workers as of April 30, 2022. This mismatch between jobs and workers means that workers have options, including leverage to ask for more pay.
In investing, a key consideration is the time horizon. There is a general perception that investing is a risky proposition, but this risk can be mitigated by holding investments for longer periods.
Market declines are never enjoyable in the moment. But these kinds of intra-year pull backs are normal when looking at market history.
Sooner or later, we're likely going to see demand cool off. The big question is how quickly inflation alters consumer spending and how quickly that pulls back inflation.
The past fifteen years have been phenomenal for U.S. stocks. They've outperformed international stocks by close to 200%. Unfortunately, no one can predict when international stocks will outperform U.S. stocks, or vice-versa.
If the financial goals conversation seems intimidating to you, know that you are not alone!
Recently, a colleague and I sat down with a married couple who is on the cusp of making significant wealth transfer and philanthropic decisions that will impact their family for generations to come. Naturally, their first question was, “Where do we start?”
Over the next 25 years, approximately 45 million U.S. households are primed to pass an estimated $70 trillion in wealth to their heirs. Here are three simple ideas to get you started on a rewarding family governance journey.
Expect uncertainty and embrace the power of teamwork. We counsel clients to focus on the things they can control, like how much they are spending, saving, and investing rather than letting uncertainty shred their peace of mind.