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Take Advantage of the Increase In Estate and Gift Tax Exemptions While You Still CanThe window to pass substantial assets to your heirs or other individuals without incurring any gift tax remains wide open—for now....

Why Your Refund May Be Smaller This Year and Tips for a Tax-Smart 2023Following several years of economic stimulus programs, many taxpayers may be in for a bit of sticker shock when filing their 2022 tax returns. On average, refunds...

As we head into March, what indicators should we be looking at to get a glimpse of the February economic results? Cetera's Chief Investment Officer Gene Goldman discusses what insights can be gained from the upcoming PMI reports...

Growing concerns about further interest rate hikes, prompted by fresh economic data, reversed early-week gains and left stocks mixed for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.13%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

After the Fed’s mixed messages last week, the release of the upcoming Fed FOMC Meeting Minutes could bring some clarity. Cetera's Chief Investment Officer Gene Goldman discusses three reasons why this report is so important...

Weekly RecapFebruary 13-17, 2023 RecapEquities End MixedS&P 500 Slips Second Week U.S. equity indices ended narrowly mixed last week amid renewed inflationary concerns that will likely keep Fed policymakers postured to keep interest...

Financial Strategies for Surviving and Thriving in Today’s Changing Job MarketFollowing recent announcements of large-scale layoffs among some of the nation’s largest employers in the technology, housing and financial...

"Is the bear market over?"That's a question I've been asked a number of times in recent weeks. And my answer is the same, "Let's give it a little time."But people are quick to remind me that stocks are off to a good start in 2023,...

Weekly RecapJanuary 30 - February 3, 2023 RecapEquities End Mostly HigherNasdaq Rises Fifth Straight Week U.S. stocks were mostly higher last week with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite trimming weekly gains on Friday after overly hot...

In their latest commentary, the Cetera Investment Management Team discusses some potential reasons to be cautious despite the recent market rally.  CLICK TO READ As always, please reach out to the office if you have any questions.

Stocks added to their early 2023 gains amid a busy stream of mixed corporate earnings results and conflicting economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.81%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.47%. The Nasdaq...

Weekly RecapJanuary 23-27, 2023 RecapEquities Extend GainsStocks Rebound U.S. stocks rebounded week-over-week with the benchmark S&P 500 ending Friday with its best YTD performance of the new year, posting gains in three of past four...

January 30 to February 3, 2023, is Identity Theft Awareness Week. Anytime is a good time to tighten up your identity security, but if you haven’t been as careful as you intended, consider this your annual reminder. Here are a few...

The initial read on Q4 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) gets released on January 26, and private economists and Federal Reserve estimates have very different economic outlooks.In the accompanying, you can see that the Atlanta Fed’s...

The December inflation report had some encouraging news. It showed that consumer prices trended lower for the month, but more importantly, it confirmed that overall prices have been trending lower for the past six months.Now the ball...

New Year, New Perspective: Don’t Let Past Financial Decisions Dictate Your FutureThe beginning of a new year finds many people establishing new financial goals or recommitting to prior goals that may have fallen short, such as...

Stocks showed mixed results last week as recession fears resurfaced in response to weak economic data and a tepid start to a new corporate earnings season.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded 2.70%, while the Standard &...

Weekly RecapJanuary 16-20, 2023 RecapS&P 500 Posts First Weekly Loss of 2023Stocks Cap Mixed Weekly ResultsU.S. stocks rallied strongly on Friday, led by strong gains in the tech sector but the benchmark S&P 500 finished fractionally...

SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 Offers Important Benefits for Those in or Nearing RetirementOn December 23, 2022, President Biden signed a $1.7 trillion budget bill that included important retirement savings legislation. The SECURE 2.0 Act of...

Weekly RecapJanuary 3-6, 2023 RecapS&P 500 Breaks 4-Week Losing StreakBest Week Since NovemberAll three major U.S. equity indexes sharply advanced on Friday, capping their best weekly performance since November as investors cheered...

Quarterly RecapMarket IndicesAt-A-GlanceThe S&P 500 posted just one record high in 2022, on Jan 3, before sliding into a bear market in June. Following a 2022 loss of over 18.1%, the S&P 500 essentially ended the year at the same level...

In a holiday-shortened week, erratic trading left stocks marginally down for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.17%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.14%. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.30%. The MSCI...

Weekly RecapDecember 26-30, 2022 RecapS&P 500 Declines Fourth WeekRecession Fears Still AboundU.S. stocks ended narrowly lower in light trading volume the final trading week of 2022, with the S&P 500, Dow Industrials and Nasdaq...

2022 was a challenging year. As we head into the new year, Cetera's Chief Investment Officer Gene Goldman offers his insight on how they may expect markets to perform in 2023 with a weaker first half of the year followed by a...

Weekly RecapDecember 19-23, 2022 RecapS&P 500 Declines Third WeekRate and Recession Fears AboundU.S. stocks ended mostly lower last week with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite recording their third consecutive weekly declines. The Dow...

As we enter the next phase of the expansion, we try to quantify metrics the Federal Reserve uses to gauge the health of the economy. Here is Cetera Investment Management’s latest Fed-O-Meter used to determine if the Fed is being...

Weekly RecapDecember 12-16, 2022 RecapStocks Down Second WeekRecession Fears ResurfaceU.S. stocks retraced gains a second straight week but ended Friday above deeper intra-day lows. Recession jitters stirred investor angst last week...

What Are Your Retirement Plan Contribution Limits in 2023?Maximum annual contribution amounts for qualified retirement plans including 401(k)s, 403(b)s, IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs and SEP-IRAs are indexed to inflation,...

Cetera Investment Management is pleased to release its annual Market Outlook for 2023 titled, "Low Expectations Are Easier to Beat." In this outlook, they discuss while they expect volatility to remain in both stocks and bonds, stocks...

Don’t Miss These Key Year-End Tax DeadlinesThe holiday season can be a busy and hectic time of year. That can make finding time difficult to focus on year-end tax deadlines. However, missed opportunities can be costly and affect...

Weekly RecapDecember 5-9, 2022 RecapStocks Give Back GainsFed Rate Jitters Stir AngstU.S. stocks more than retraced prior week gains, with the Dow posting its largest weekly loss since September. Despite mostly positive economic...

Weekly RecapNovember 28 - December 2, 2022 RecapStocks Post Back-to-Back Weekly GainsThe Fed, Inflation, and the Labor MarketU.S. stocks continued higher for the second consecutive week as investors viewed a speech by Federal Reserve...

In their latest commentary, the Cetera Investment Management Team discusses what is weighing on investors’ minds during this most recent market selloff. The Fed has entered a blackout period leading up to their meeting next week,...

Growing optimism that the Fed may be ready to ease future interest rate hikes sent stocks higher in a quiet trading week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.78%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 1.53%. The Nasdaq...

Weekly RecapNovember 21-25, 2022 RecapStocks See-Saw PositiveFed Sees Progress in Slowing InflationU.S. stocks rebounded last week, more than fully retracing prior week losses after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s November...

Weekly RecapNovember 14-18, 2022 RecapStocks Slip Last WeekTrimming November GainsU.S. stocks retreated modestly last week, trimming solid month-to-date (MTD) gains spurred by lighter than expected inflation data that had ignited hopes...

As we enter the next phase of the expansion, we try to quantify metrics the Federal Reserve uses to gauge the health of the economy. Here is Cetera Investment Management’s latest Fed-O-Meter used to determine if the Fed is being...

Do You Know Your Debt-to-Income Ratio and Why It Matters?What is DTI?Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is used by lenders to help determine if you can make the monthly payments required to pay back a loan on time. Generally, the lower...

In their latest commentary, the Cetera Investment Management Team takes a space odyssey to explore the parallels between the cosmos and financial markets and the economy. They explore planetary motion, truly astronomical stats about...

Weekly RecapNovember 7-11, 2022 RecapTrimming Gains as Rate Outlook SteepensBest Week Since JuneU.S. stocks surged last week, more than fully rebounding from prior week losses after the October consumer price index (CPI) came in...

In their latest commentary, the Cetera Investment Management Team discusses the 2022 midterm election results and possible investment implications. CLICK TO READ As always, please reach out to the office if you have any questions.

Weekly RecapOctober 31 - November 4, 2022 RecapTrimming Gains as Rate Outlook SteepensStocks Retrace Prior GainsU.S. stocks ended lower last week after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite previously registered back-to-back weekly gains....

In their latest commentary, the Cetera Investment Management Team discusses how the month of October saw the equity markets perform well with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having its best monthly gain since January 1975. Driving...

Weekly RecapOctober 24-28, 2022 RecapMomentum Extends Another WeekStocks AdvanceU.S. stocks powered higher for a second weekly gain driven higher on earnings relief mostly centered in value-based companies. Growth-oriented companies...

Now that you are on your way into retirement and your days of working full time are gone, you may have more time on your hands. To make the most of your time in retirement, we’ve come up with a few ideas to help you get started....

Weekly RecapOctober 17-21, 2022 RecapInvestor Optimism GrowsStocks ReboundCorporate earnings and comments from Federal Reserve officials were the focus last week. Thus far, just over 20% of the S&P 500 companies have released earnings...

5 Ways to Stay on Track in Any Market ClimateLet’s face it, life doesn’t always go as planned. Some circumstances are beyond your control, such as rising inflation, an economic downturn, or an unexpected job loss or...

As we enter the next phase of the expansion, we try to quantify metrics the Federal Reserve uses to gauge the health of the economy. Here is Cetera Investment Management’s latest Fed-O-Meter used to determine if the Fed is being...

Weekly RecapOctober 10-14, 2022 RecapStocks Weaken on Persistent InflationWild Week Ends Moderately Lower U.S. stocks ended mostly lower last week even as the S&P 500 captured a monumental turnaround on Thursday, reversing a 2.39%...

Monthly RecapMarket IndicesAt-A-GlanceThe S&P 500 nosedived in September, finishing the third quarter at a new 2022 low, down 24.36% from its January 3, 2022 peak.The Nasdaq Composite lost 10.44% last month, more than erasing a net 7...

As you know, over the last few days, we have had the privilege to make our radio debut on WGN Radio 720.Like the Chicago Bears, we kicked off Sunday with the inaugural episode of "The Workers' Mic" Powered by the Midwest Collation of...

Tale of Two HalvesRoller Coaster Week Ends Net PositiveU.S. stocks snapped a three-week losing streak in which the S&P 500 surged over 5% in the first half of the week, delivering its best two-day...

Better than expected labor data caused fear of higher interest rates. Recession risk is increasing, but any recession should be mild for a host of reasons. Volatility will remain as we continue forward in this rate hike cycle...

U.S. stocks delivered their worst monthly performance since the depth of the pandemic sell-off in March 2020, capping the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite with their third straight quarterly losses for the first time since the global...

Dismal Week, Month and QuarterEquities Slump to Two-year LowsThe rout in U.S. stocks deepened another week with all three major domestic equity indices down in six of the past seven weeks. The...

Inflation disappoints investors, rising more than expected in August. There are signs inflation will moderate soon and data may be lagging. Volatility will remain as we continue forward in this rate hike cycle.The Labor...

Another Down Week for StocksEquities Approach June Lows The rout in U.S. stocks deepened last week with the benchmark S&P 500 posting its fifth weekly loss in six weeks and briefly breached its June closing low on...

If you follow the news, you know many people are talking about a possible recession on the horizon, driven by inflation and rising interest rates. Ultimately, consumer spending will likely determine whether we have a recession or not,...

Active managers often claim to add protection and extract value for their clients in periods of volatility. The following analysis reviews this claim by evaluating the performance of active managers against their benchmarks in the...

Now let's take it back even further to the 1950s... You may feel like you are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. But our next stop is not the Twilight Zone, or so we hope....

Fourth Weekly Loss in Five WeeksEquities RetreatU.S. stocks fell sharply last week, with the S&P 500 posting its worst weekly performance since reaching its 2022 low in June. The S&P 500 is now down nearly 10% from its most...

When you think of the 1970s, you’re likely to think of leisure suits, bell bottom jeans, disco music, mood rings, pet rocks, and green shaggy carpet. While some of those trends may be making a comeback, there is one thing we all...

Tough Fed Talk Will Continue to Rattle MarketsS&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq drop more than 3% on Friday.Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech gave us a few insights. Fed may be talking tough to tame investor psychology. Jerome Powell...

Stocks Break Losing StreakEquities Bounce BackU.S. stocks reversed course and broke their three-week losing streak. Investors became more optimistic that inflation likely peaked ahead of this week’s inflation reports. The first...

August At-A-GlanceContinuing to touch on August...The S&P 500 posted its worst August performance in seven years, deepening its correction from its Jan 3 peak to -16.68%.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,334 points in...

U.S. equities and bonds ended a volatile August lower as investors came to grips with increased rate-hike expectations after global central banks vowed to step up their wars against inflation. In a classic tale of two halves, the S&P...

• Stocks are rallying off their June bear market lows.• Valuations are rising, but less than 50% of S&P 500 stocks are above their 200day averages.• Inflation and the Fed remain investors’ focus, so volatility...

How buying a car impacts your financesBuying a new car can be an incredibly exciting experience for individuals. Having a new car can provide a sense of confidence, provide a feeling of safety, and bring overall happiness to a person....

The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) FOMC meeting concluded yesterday with the first 0.75% rate hike in 28 years to address persistently high inflation, pushing the federal funds rate to a range of 1.50% to 1.75%. The Fed also updated...

Second Worst Week of the YearInflation Sidelines More Bulls The S&P 500 capped its ninth weekly decline in the last 10 weeks after Friday’s unexpectedly red-hot May CPI reading. The headline consumer price index climbed to 8.6%...