Saving Early & Letting Time Work for You The earlier you start pursuing financial goals, the better your outcome may be. As a young investor, you have a powerful ally on your side: time. When you start saving and investing for retirement in your twenties or thirties, you can put it to work for you. The effect of compounding is huge. Most people underestimate it, so it is worth illustrating. We will use reasonable annual return rates to do [...]
The Fed Decides to Wait In a tough time for equities, it elects not to roil the markets. On Thursday, the Federal Reserve postponed raising short-term interest rates. Citing “global economic and financial developments” that could “somewhat” impair economic progress and lessen inflation pressure, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-1 against a rate hike, with Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker being the lone dissenter.1 This spring, a September rate hike seemed probable – but during this past week, assumptions [...]
Riding Out This Volatile Market A major global selloff unfolds. Is a bottom near? When will the stock [...]
What Does the Devalued Yuan Mean for the U.S.? A look at China’s unexpected move & its potential impact. China has surprised global investors by weakening the yuan almost 5%. Its central bank may even weaken it further.1,5 Why did the PRC make this move? Its long-booming economy is in a slump. Most notably, Chinese exports have taken a major fall. In July, they were down 8.3% year-over-year. By depreciating the yuan, China is trying to help its exports [...]
Behind on Your Retirement Savings? What steps could you take to catch up? If life has not allowed you to build substantial retirement savings, what can you do to improve your retirement prospects? Here are some suggestions: Play catch-up. If at all possible, take advantage of the catch-up contributions the IRS allows you to make to IRAs and other retirement accounts starting in the year in which you turn 50. For example, this year a worker age 50 or older [...]