Inflation and geopolitics and earnings. Oh, my! It was a rough week for stock markets. “The S&P 500 closed 1.5% lower on Friday, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 1.6%. Every S&P 500 sector closed lower—and just about 40 stocks in the index finished the day with gains,” reported Connor Smith of Barron’s. A trio of […]

The bull charged from October 2023 through March 2024. Last week, it took a breather. Optimistic may be the best word to describe the first quarter of 2024. From the start of the year, investors were confident that an economic soft landing in the United States was possible. The U.S. stock market reflected investors’ conviction […]

What do dieters have in common with the Federal Reserve? If you’ve ever dieted, you may be familiar with the weight-loss plateau. Many people experience steady progress. The bathroom scale moves lower week by week – until it doesn’t – and that can be discouraging. The Federal Reserve has been trying to reduce inflation, and […]

Scams usually start with a phone call, email, text, or another form of communication. The person typically claims to be from an agency or organization you know – or one that sounds like it might benefit you, such as the National Sweepstakes Bureau or a lottery. The person may know your name and address. They […]

IRS wraps up 2023 Dirty Dozen list; reminds taxpayers and tax pros to be wary of scams and schemes, even after tax season WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service wrapped up the annual Dirty Dozen list of tax scams for 2023 with a reminder for taxpayers, businesses and tax professionals to watch out for these schemes throughout […]

This World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Let’s Make a Pledge to Stay in Touch Older adults are more vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day reminds us about the importance of staying in touch with older persons. Elder abuse is the intentional mistreatment or harming of an older person. An older […]