Current Perspectives

We’ve now experienced two consecutive quarters of healthy market gains since the market bottom of September 2022. The long-predicted recession hasn’t materialized despite rising interest rates and a banking crisis.   Current economic indicators are triggering mixed signals. The evidence supporting the possibility of a recession coming includes two historically reliable indicators (GDP growth predictions […]

Although the fourth quarter of 2022 showed some improvement in markets, the year was not pretty. Stocks were shaken by the Federal Reserve Board’s aggressive rate hikes (the fastest since the 1980s stagflation era) and the reversal of long running Fed Reserve policies, which flooded the markets with liquidity.  Markets were also impacted by persistent […]

By Michael Donahoe, CFP® Between leaving the workforce, understanding your Social Security benefits, and defining your new daily routine, retirement can be quite overwhelming. And after a year of what feels like never-ending price increases on basic everyday necessities, many retirees are feeling the pressure to stretch their wallets further and further. Navigating the transition […]

Q3 2022 was a complicated and worrisome quarter for the economy and investors alike. Inflation is now officially red hot, and the Federal Reserve is determined to get it under control by raising interest rates.   Actual reported economic data for Q3 remained fairly strong. Growth in the giant service sector of the economy was offset […]

By Michael Donahoe, CFP®  President Biden recently announced a plan to forgive student loans for qualified borrowers. As with any new government program, there are many questions as to who qualifies and how much will be forgiven. The plan would provide up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness for students who receive a Pell Grant, and […]