Peek of the Week
We invite you to read our special Mother's Day 2022 Commentary on our blog today. On Mother's Day, we honor our Mother's love and how it helped mold us into who we are. We hope you have a special Mother's Day this weekend and if you're looking for some meaningful ways to celebrate, today's blog lists a few ideas.
Read Morehere's no denying the volatility in today's current market. Today's Peek of the Week evaluates how the corrections and contractions within the market feels like we're running on a forest trail and continue to encounter unexpected obstacles... and a lot of them. Prices are high and continue to rise. The Russia-Ukraine War has caused inflation to rise and continues to push it higher as exports become more limited. China has been experiencing Covid-19 surges and lockdowns, the country's worst since the pandemic began. In the United States, the Federal Reserve is expected to raise rates significantly and the next concern is now a future recession.
Read MoreToday'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.
Read MoreToday's Peek of the Week explains the complexity of inflation and how the numbers may vary, depending on how things get measured. To determine how quickly prices will rise or fall is not easy and our government relies on two indexes to get their answers: the CPI (Consumer Price Index) and the PCE (the Personal Consumption Index). These signify headline inflation and core inflation. Read our "Peek of the Week" to learn how to differentiate between them and learn why the cost of two things we use daily, food and energy, can be excluded from inflation calculations. One thing we know for sure: policymakers have A LOT of data to consider before they make their predictions for the future.
Read MoreAre 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreToday'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.
Read MoreBe 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.
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreTomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day! Saint Patrick once said that "luck is when an opportunity comes along and you've prepared for it." But it should be noted that the man we know as "Saint Patrick" was actually named Maewyn Succat. It might also be a surprise to find out that he wasn't Irish at all! Read our special St. Patrick's Day Commentary to learn about the legend of Saint Patrick and a few fun facts that you could share with family or friends over a green beer!
Read MoreInvestor 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.
Read MoreU.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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