529/College Planning

Equities continued to climb in Q3, with fixed income remaining steady despite international conflicts, inflationary pressure, and election-related uncertainty in the United States.

With the election looming, investors should prepare for potential changes in tax policies, particularly given the impending sunset of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Surviving a disaster involves securing safety, accessing help from agencies, and documenting damages for insurance claims. Our Bill Cass highlights numerous resources for financial relief, including accessing emergency funds, insurance and tax considerations.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) recently released its second-quarter GDP report for 2024, showcasing a 2.96% growth rate. This number has sparked discussions among investors and analysts, particularly those predicting an imminent recession.

With over 36,000 metric tons in reserves—about one-fifth of all the gold ever mined—central banks know something we should too: Gold is the ultimate safety net.

The latest S&P 500 rebalance introduced Dell and Palantir to the index, and Apple’s weight grew with annual float changes, signaling technology’s ongoing influence.

Semiconductor stocks continue to rally and will continue to do so as long as the AI and data center themes stay hot.

Our experts explore the implications of wider S&P 500 earnings growth, potential Fed rate cuts, and the outlook for global equities and bonds amidst ongoing economic shifts.

Historically, staying invested has been, in our view, an effective strategy and one to consider when it comes to election years and beyond.

News of that day included rioting in northern England, apparently in response to misinformation spread online claiming the person who stabbed to death three children and injured eight others in Southport was a Muslim immigrant.

For families seeking to help their children save for higher education, 529 plans continue to gain broader appeal.

Since mid-2022, when the Federal Reserve was in the midst of its aggressive hiking cycle, investors piled over $1.6 trillion into money market funds, which include Treasury bills.

Despite forthcoming volatility, it's an ideal time to get municipal debt exposure, especially in the current market environment.

As the back-to-school season fills your social media feed with first-day photos and ads for the latest school supplies, it is also a prime opportunity for financial advisors to reconnect with clients about their education savings plans.

MSCI boosted India’s weighting in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and reduced China’s in its latest quarterly rebalance, continuing long-term trends.

With attractive valuations, emerging market equities look like a good opportunity. A factor investing strategy, designed well, may enhance performance and help manage some key risks.

States enter fiscal 2025 maintaining stable reserves and moderating fixed costs, yet we expect many will need to make modest spending cuts due to exhaustion of federal pandemic aid.

Balanced risks to inflation and employment indicate it’s time for the Fed to normalize interest rates, enhancing a positive backdrop for bonds.

Passive fixed income index investing has evolved significantly over the previous decade, offering investors the flexibility to align risk requirements and investment goals. Learn more from our experts.

Here we dispel three common myths about elections and investments, demonstrating why we think sticking to a long-term investment plan might be a better path to success than trying to predict political cycles.

History typically shows that election years don't produce major volatility swings in the municipal bond market.

To tackle the costs of higher education, many families use a 529 plan to bolster savings. An ETF strategy can bring long-term savings growth.

We think the decline in the S&P 500 Index on Tuesday may be more technical than fundamental.

Recent changes to the FAFSA form and process include a simpler form, fewer questions and a revised eligibility formula. Our Bill Cass highlights what you need to know to apply for federal financial aid for college.

Presidential elections tend to have limited impact on market performance, regardless of party win (although markets prefer Democratic switches). Investors should capitalize on the uptick in market volatility, which investors can use for strategic investing.

After a bit of an early-August swoon, the stock market came roaring back in the last few weeks of the month. The S&P 500 finished up 2.4%, though certainly in the early days of August, that did not feel like a particularly likely outcome. In client conversations a few days into the selloff, our feeling was to stay put and not tinker with the portfolios we suggested in early August.

In our view, stagflation scenarios tend to be worse for balanced portfolios than recessions.

As I write this, gold continues to trade above $2,500 an ounce after surging past the psychologically important level for the first time ever in mid-August. For seasoned gold mining investors, this should be a moment of validation. After all, the yellow metal has long been seen as the ultimate hedge against economic uncertainty.

Many recent studies have been done on the economics of different generations. Researchers want to know if Millennials and Gen Z are in fact worse off than their Boomer and Gen X parents. There are quite a few ways to look at this data.

While short-term fluctuations and sudden selloffs have tested the markets, key indicators such as corporate profits, employment data, and economic resilience have held firm.

We analyze Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell’s comments about the potential for rate cuts in September and beyond.

Will 2030 DC plans perform better at preparing U.S. workers for retirement?

The latest retail sales report seems to have given Wall Street something to cheer about. Headlines touting resilience in consumer spending increased hopes of a “soft landing” boosting the stock market.

The market’s 8.5% decline during August sent shockwaves through the media and investors. The drop raised concerns about whether this was the start of a larger correction or a temporary pullback. However, a powerful reversal, driven by investor buying and corporate share repurchases, halted the decline, leading many to wonder if the worst is behind us.

After market expectations spiked to nearly five interest rate cuts in 2024 based on disappointing labor market report early in the month, reassuring data in the form of Retail Sales and Unemployment Claims have quelled market Markets have eased expectations for interest rate cuts, pricing closer to four cuts as of the end of last week.

The last two years of high school can be particularly important as students approach the final college decision. Our Bill Cass highlights some action items for students and parents.

We explore how strong fundamentals and a resilient economy may position high-yield bonds as a potentially compelling choice in today’s fluctuating market.

Stocks that offer artificial intelligence have been the hot ticket in the stock market – seeing their prices surge – many to astronomical heights. In this video, Chuck Carnevale, Co-Founder of FAST Graphs, a.k.a. Mr. Valuation will use FAST Graphs to see if he can locate some AI stocks that might not be so expensive, but his primary focus is going to be on Dell Technologies (DELL), as well as Dell’s competitors.

Markets were recently rattled by concerns the U.S. may slip into recession, but it's not clear that those fears are justified.

Stocks that offer artificial intelligence have been the hot ticket in the stock market – seeing their prices surge – many to astronomical heights.

Families may want to consider a comprehensive plan for college, including actions to take during the high school years, and consider how a 529 plan can help guide savings. Our Bill Cass offers details on college planning.

Economic indicators are released every week to provide insight into the overall health and performance of an economy.

Today’s passive index investing requires active choices, as customization and innovations in index funds have resulted in new considerations for investors and the potential for greater control.

According to some pundits, we had a bloodbath in the information technology sector yesterday, should you buy, sell or hold?

The case for beginning to recalibrate rates in the S. is on a winning streak for getting stronger with each data print

We are in the time of year when Americans pack transatlantic airliners for their European vacations. I had actually hoped to be one of them. That didn’t work out but we can still talk about events in Europe. And we probably should, because potentially major changes are happening.

Explore the complexities of the high-yield market through comprehensive insights from our experts.

The addition of Dell Technologies and Super Micro boosted the weighting to the technology sector. We also analyze changes to the value and growth indexes.

The expert and you are in a car and the expert is driving. After awhile, you notice that the expert is driving the car by looking through the rearview mirror. Concerned you ask him why he’s not looking ahead as he drives.

Rebalancing events help ensure benchmarks maintain exposure to companies within their targeted asset class or markets, but the rebalancing can also impact investment portfolios.

Initial rate cuts by the European Central Bank and Bank of Canada may signal a transformative trend toward monetary easing.