Weekly Market Update

Economic Update

Rough Sailing on the Red Sea

On January 8, a drone attack killed three U.S. soldiers further exacerbating tensions that have been rising in the Middle East since October 7, 2023. Since November, Houthi-fired missiles have struck multiple commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the U.S. launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to […]

Economic Update

Are You Prepared for Retirement?

In 2023, a Charles Schwab survey of 1,000 401(k) plan participants between the ages of 21 and 70 found that:

• Workers thought they’d need to save $1.8 million for retirement.
• Only 37% felt […]
  

Economic Update

Saving for College Using 529 Plans

One tax-advantaged method of saving for a private and higher education is a state-sponsored 529 Plan (or qualified tuition plan).

First, A Few Terms.

• There are two types of 529 plans: the education savings plan and the prepaid tuition plan. This article focuses on the education […]
  

Economic Update

Is Long-Term Care Insurance for You?

The Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an industry advocacy group, has gathered the following data about long-term care (LTC):

• In 2020, 54% of the applicants for LTC insurance were between the ages of 55 and 64.*
• […]
  

Economic Update

The Wild World of Real Estate

It’s been a couple of crazy years on both the supply and demand sides of the real estate market. For example, on the supply side:

• Construction of single-family homes reached an all-time high in 2021 then dropped back in both 2022 […]