It was a volatile night for the U.S.-Iran conflict. S&P 500 Index futures dipped 1.5% and global markets swung after Iran shot several ballistic missiles at U.S.-Iraqi military bases. Markets recovered their losses overnight on news that there were no American casualties, but tensions remain high in the Middle East. As concerns over the Iran […]
An important part of managing your personal finances is keeping your financial records organized. Whether it’s a utility bill to show proof of residency or a Social Security card for wage reporting purposes, there may be times when you need to locate a financial record or document–and you’ll need to locate it relatively quickly. By […]
Do you picture yourself owning a new home, starting a business, or retiring comfortably? These are a few of the financial goals that may be important to you, and each comes with a price tag attached. That’s where financial planning comes in. Financial planning is a process that can help you target your goals by […]
The window of opportunity for many tax-saving moves closes on December 31, so it’s important to evaluate your tax situation now, while there’s still time to affect your bottom line for the 2019 tax year. Timing is everything Consider any opportunities you have to defer income to 2020. For example, you may be able to […]
December has been widely viewed as a strong month for stocks, with this year following suit so far. What many probably don’t realize, however, is the majority of the gains have taken place late in the month. “December has been a good month so far, but can it continue? Turns out, the majority of December’s […]
It may be better to give than to receive, but it may be even better to give and see your generosity rewarded. Charitable giving can play a valuable role in your financial and tax strategies. A well-planned gift to charity could provide an income tax deduction and a reduction of estate taxes. Your donation could […]
As the traditional giving season approaches, there is one important item to add to your to do list: Create a holiday budget. Before the gift shopping and wrapping begins, take control of your wallet through financial preparation. Remember, you can potentially avoid the credit card crunch and the dangerous pitfall of borrowing against your company’s […]
The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) final policy meeting of 2019 starts today and will conclude tomorrow with the release of the Fed’s policy statement, updated economic projections, and a press conference by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. After lowering its main policy rate at each of its last three meetings, the Fed is widely expected to pause […]
Hindsight is 20/20, but finding clarity in future uncertainty can be fuzzy. AT LPL RESEARCH, as we look forward to the year 2020 and a new decade, some key trends and market signals will be important to watch, including progress on U.S.-China trade discussions, an encouraging outlook from corporate America, and continued strength in consumer […]
It took nearly 15 months, but the Russell 2000 Index finally broke out to a new 52-week high. On November 25, the Russell 2000 gained an impressive 2.1% to close at its highest level since October 2018. Small caps have lagged their larger counterparts for much of this year, and the Russell 2000 is still […]
