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Peek of the Week

Posts in World Events
Welcome to the bear market
Welcome to the bear market

Today's Peek of the Week explains how tensions seem to rise when investors encounter bear market territory, causing some to wearily stay the course, and others to tap out. How is a bear market defined? It can be when shares prices decline 20 percent or more, or it can also occur when investors are feeling more bearish than bullish. It's safe to say we are in bear territory... read our "Peek" for more details and learn about how the investing decisions that can be made today will ultimately affect your long-term outcomes. You don't want to miss this!

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Lifestyle, Investment, World Events, Stock market, Peek of the WeekLeif HagenAchievement Financial#invest, #investing, #marketnews, #stockmarket, #bearmarket, #decline, #inflation, #costs, #cost, #costofliving, #federalreserve
The Fed plays catch up with 'anti-inflation' campaign
The Fed plays catch up with 'anti-inflation' campaign

Today's Peek of the Week tells us how the Federal Reserve has stepped up their "anti-inflation campaign" in the last week, with the goal to slow inflation. Inflation has been high and is getting further exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and by China's virus lockdowns. So far, the American economy has avoided a recession but it has not avoided ongoing inflation.

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Money, Lifestyle, Stock market, Peek of the Week, World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#inflation, #campaign, #marketwatch, #stockmarket, #stocks, #bonds, #wealth, #advisor, #Ukraine, #war, #interestrates, #earnings, #unemployment
Wishing you hope and joy for Easter!
Wishing you hope and joy for Easter!

Are you read for Easter on Sunday? The word "Easter" is said to derive from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. Or, it's also said to derive from the Latin phrase in albis, which is a plural version of the word meaning dawn. Today's Easter Commentary reiterates the importance of new beginnings and hope on Easter.

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Lifestyle, Community Involvement, World EventsLeif Hagen#holyweek, #Easter, #EasterSunday, #EggHunt, #traditions, #global, #international, #heisrisen, #hope, #joy, #spring, #renewal, #newlife, #holiday, #resurrection
The cost of war filters through the markets
The cost of war filters through the markets

The first quarter of 2022 experienced a storm of volatility with events like nonstop rising inflation, the war in Ukraine, rising interest rates, sanctions on Russia and a new COVID-19 outbreak in China... just to name a few. Today's Peek of the Week offers a review of the first quarter with some options for investors when it comes to fighting inflation, borrowing money and gauging future business operations. Energy prices have surged around the world, causing a jump in global inflation when it comes to transportation and shipping. These costs will be reflected in many other goods, including food.

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Money, Lifestyle, Investment, World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#war, #wartime, #ukraine, #russia, #invasion, #cost, #supply, #demand, #china, #coronavirus, #lockdown, #markets, #stockmarket, #stocks, #bonds, #rates, #federalreserve, #borrowingrate, #inflation, #brainfreeze, #weather, #summer, #firstquarter, #exports, #imports
Checking in... on the Fed and the gender wage gap
Checking in... on the Fed and the gender wage gap

Today's Peek of the Week "checks in" on the Federal Reserve and many other things. The Federal Reserve has been asked by Congress to promote price stability and maximize employment. Inflation continued to increase to 6.4 percent last week (with food and energy included) and the Fed's target rate for inflation is all the way down at 2 percent. Yikes. Today's blog will explain some potential next moves for balancing out financial complications.

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Money, Lifestyle, Investment, Insurance, World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#inflation, #thefed, #federalreserve, #wagegap, #gender, #genderwagegap, #price, #prices, #stability, #money, #unemployment, #jobs, #jobreport, #jobmarket, #stocks, #bonds, #stockmarket, #focus
Rates are rising for consumers and investors
Rates are rising for consumers and investors

Be careful what you ask for…you just might get it! Today's Peek of the Week explains the recent increase in Treasury rates, the drop in demand for home loans and how the cost of carrying credit card debt has increased. It was early March when almost two-thirds of Americans said the Federal Reserve should be more aggressive when it comes to inflation. Well, Americans got what they asked for! When rates rise, borrowing money becomes more expensive, demand gets reduced and prices go even higher.

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Money, Lifestyle, Investment, World Events, Stock market, Peek of the WeekLeif HagenAchievement Financial#rates, #investor, #investors, #stocks, #stockmarket, #bonds, #housingmarket, #credit, #creditcard
Investor clarity improves as we spring forward
Investor clarity improves as we spring forward

Last week, the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) met and decided to raise the federal funds target rate by a quarter point. Most people were expecting this to happen, and Jerome Powell expects the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2022 in hopes of lowering inflation. Today's Peek of the Week has insight about the yield curve, future rate hikes and implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Investors felt reassured after last week's improved clarity. Major U.S. stock indices rallied and accomplished some gains.

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Peek of the Week, Stock market, World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#spring, #springequinox, #blog, #investing, #investors, #stocks, #bonds, #stockmarket, #positive, #clarity, #peekoftheweek
Investor optimism drops as workplace equality grows
Investor optimism drops as workplace equality grows

Investor optimism is low. In only two weeks, the war has altered the status of over two million people in Ukraine. In response, investors are focusing on the short-term implications of the war. Today's Peek of the Week dives into the top investor concerns such as slowed economic growth, rising inflation, supply chain breakdowns and the demand for goods that simply aren't available. Also today: equality in the workplace is a topic that follows us throughout time and today's blog brings us some updated facts when it comes to women in the workplace.

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World Events, Stock marketLeif HagenAchievement Financial#blog, #money, #stockmarket, #stocks, #bonds, #inflation, #war, #ukraine, #russia, #putin
Adapting to war and a changing reality
Adapting to war and a changing reality

U.S. stocks finished the week lower. This comes as no surprise as our world is currently being forced to quickly adapt to a fast-changing reality. The war in Ukraine has intensified and financial markets are grappling with all this uncertainty. Today's Peek of the Week discusses the recent wartime sanctions and how economists are now expected to revise their predictions for global growth and inflation. Economists anticipate the rising commodity prices (on things like oil and gas) are likely to push inflation higher than it might have been otherwise, causing a slowdown for the global economy.

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News, Peek of the Week, Stock market, World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#ukraine, #russia, #war, #stockmarket, #worldnews, #growth, #inflation, #sanctions, #economy, #China
Market corrections... and the great college debate!
Market corrections... and the great college debate!

Today's Peek of the Week is full of questions. Investors wonder what will happen with the current geopolitical tensions, if the Federal Reserve will tame inflation and how the market correction is being received. Major U.S. stock indices moved lower last week and came even closer to correction territory. A stock market correction occurs when assets, indexes or markets decline by 10 to 20 percent and although they feel unpleasant, they aren't unusual. In addition, here have been all kinds of debates about college and its importance. Questions such as: is college a good investment? Which college majors are worth the cost? And, should employers remove college degree requirements from job listings? What do YOU think?

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Money, Lifestyle, Investment, Stock market, Peek of the Week, World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#education, #school, #college, #investing, #investor, #marketnews, #marketcommentary, #marketreport, #employer, #employers, #risk, #benefit, #benefits, #gold, #prices, #stockmarket, #federalreserve
Wishing You Happiness and Prosperity this Lunar New Year
Wishing You Happiness and Prosperity this Lunar New Year

Gong hei fat choy (恭喜发财)

In Chinese this means 'Wishing you happiness and prosperity!’

Happy Lunar New Year from Achievement Financial! The holiday begins today, February 1st and while it officially spans three days, it’s celebrated in China and other Asian countries over the course of two weeks. Read our special Lunar New Year 2022 commentary. We share a link to the Lunar New Year "dos and don'ts," and more Lunar New Year facts.

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World EventsLeif HagenAchievement Financial#prosperity, #lunarnewyear, #chinese, #culture, #celebrate, #newbeginning, #tiger, #yearofthetiger
Economic expansion brings space exploration
Economic expansion brings space exploration

January presented us with a month of stock market decline but last Friday's gain "snapped a three-day streak of losses and left the S&P 500 up 0.8 percent for the week." Today's #PeekoftheWeek lists some possible reasons why the first weekly gain of the year took a few weeks to occur and how economic expansion is leading us to more space exploration. Take our "space economy" quiz to find out how much you know!

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Money, Lifestyle, World Events, Stock market, Peek of the WeekLeif HagenAchievement Financial#stocks, #technology, #stockmarket, #markets, #resilience, #corporations, #earnings, #fourthquarter, #buythedip, #decline, #USstocks, #bonds, #space, #spaceexploration, #economy