Asset Management Current events Forbes Investing

How The Stock Market Has Performed Before, During, And After Presidential Elections

How The Stock Market Has Performed Before, During, And After Presidential Elections There’s a lot going on during any normal election year, but fittingly, this time seems different. Of course, when it comes to investing, unless you have a crystal ball, it’s not worth trying to predict the future. Indulging…

Kristin McKennaAugust 24, 2020

Asset Management Current events Investing

Stock Market Performance by President (in Charts)

As the next U.S. presidential election nears, investors may be wondering what the implications are for their investments. How will the stock market react if the incumbent (President Trump) wins? What will markets do if the current Republican administration is replaced by a Democratic one? How does the stock market…

Kristin McKennaAugust 12, 2020

Current events Investing During a Crisis Video

What’s Going on in the Stock Market and the Economy in 5 Charts

What's happening in the stock market today? Is the recession over? Here are 5 charts to help explain what's going on in the stock market and the economy these days. (more…)

Kristin McKennaJuly 21, 2020

Current events Diversification Forbes Investing

Big Tech Stocks Are Worth More Than Ever, But New Lawsuits May Create Problems For Investors

Despite the pandemic and global economic shutdown, the S&P 500 was flat on the year as of market close on June 8th, 2020. Since hitting the recent low on March 23rd, the index has rallied more than 45%. During this time, the five largest companies in the world (Apple, Microsoft,…

Kristin McKennaJune 15, 2020

Current events Forbes Investing During a Crisis

5 Explanations for the Disconnect Between the Stock Market and the Economy

After the recent low point for the S&P 500 on March 23rd, 2020, the index is up over 28% on a total return basis as of May 12th. A 28% gain in less than two months, during a pandemic? It’s understandable investors are wondering why there’s such a disconnect between…

Kristin McKennaMay 19, 2020

Asset Management Brokerage Account Building Wealth Cash Management Current events Diversification Early Retirement Investing Investing During a Crisis Managing Risk Retirement Planning

Should You Keep Investing Through a Recession?

There's a lot we know about the current state of the stock market, but we can only make an educated guess as to where the economy goes from here. Both are sobering to think about. As of the writing of this article, we have descended into the fastest bear market…

Kristin McKennaMarch 22, 2020

Asset Management Current events Forbes Investing Investing During a Crisis Managing Risk

The U.S. is in a Bear Market. There Could be a Recession. But This Isn’t 2008.

Are We Headed For Another Financial Crisis? It happened on March 11th: after 11 years, the S&P 500 once again entered a bear market. Defined as a decline of 20% or more from recent highs, this is the first bear market for the popular stock index since the 2008 financial…

Kristin McKennaMarch 21, 2020

Asset Management Asset Protection Cash Management Current events Diversification Forbes Investing Investing During a Crisis Managing Risk

Should You Go To Cash Until The Market Recovers Or Ride It Out?

When the stock market is in turmoil, many investors are tempted to go to cash and wait for the dust to settle before getting back in. One of the issues here is how to time your exit and entry—unlike a flash flood or significant weather event, investors aren't going to…

Kristin McKennaMarch 15, 2020

Asset Management Bonds Building Wealth Current events Diversification Investing Investing During a Crisis Managing Risk Rebalancing

How Do Bonds Perform During a Recession?

The globalized nature of the world economy makes diversification a tall task. Although past performance is not indicative of future results, history is a helpful lens to view stock vs bond performance during past recessions or bear markets. Volatility in the financial markets also highlights the benefits—and limitations—that diversification can…

Kristin McKennaMarch 4, 2020

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Is Refinancing Your Mortgage Worth It? Here’s How Much You Could Save

How much can refinancing your mortgage save you? Mortgage rates are currently very low - the average 30-year mortgage is now below 3%. It might make sense for homeowners to consider refinancing. How much could you save from refinancing your mortgage? Here's how to tell if refinancing your mortgage is…

Kristin McKennaMarch 2, 2020

Current events