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Weekly Market Commentary

June 6, 2021

The Markets

Pulling the economy out of the shed.

If you’ve ever stored tools or machinery in a shed or garage for an extended period of time, you know they often need some care and repair to function properly. The same appears to be true of the pandemic economy.

Weekly Market Commentary

June 1, 2021

The Markets

Are we at a tipping point?

One side effect of the pandemic was a collapse in demand for oil, which led to “the largest revision to the value of the oil industry’s assets in at least a decade,” reported Collin Eaton and Sarah McFarlane of The Wall Street Journal.

First Time Homebuyer? – These Programs Are for You
June 1, 2021

Do you fantasize about one day owning a home but don’t think you’ll ever be able to afford it? Do you wonder how you’ll ever come up with the down payment needed to purchase a home or how you’ll ever be able to get a loan with your low credit score?

Weekly Market Commentary

May 24, 2021

The Markets

What do markets hate?

They hate uncertainty, and recently there has been plenty of it. Some of the questions plaguing economists and pundits include:

Why aren’t people returning to work? Americans, like people in other parts of the world, have not been rejoining the workforce at the pace many had anticipated. One of the most frequently cited theories was explained by The Economist:

Weekly Market Commentary

May 17, 2021

The Markets

Uncle Inflation is here. Will he overstay his welcome?

Ever since the financial crisis, central banks have pursued expansionary monetary policies to encourage reflation and avoid deflation. Well, it’s taken some time, but inflation is finally here.

Disability Insurance
May 15, 2021

Disability Insurance is insurance for your income if you become disabled and not able to work. Most people have coverage through their work in the form of short-term group disability and long-term disability.

Weekly Market Commentary

May 10, 2021

The Markets

Like a gender reveal gone wrong, last week’s employment report delivered an unexpected surprise.

Economists estimated 975,000 new jobs would be created in April. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported there were just 266,000. That’s a big miss.

ISC Model Updates Q1:

The market, as represented by the S&P 500 below, continued its move higher in the first quarter albeit not quite at the same torrid pace it finished the year. There was also some significant dispersion between sectors, and the outperformance of all things, not mega-cap growth continued from last quarter.

Weekly Market Commentary

May 3, 2021

The Markets

It’s Spring and economic recovery is in the air.

Last week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported the U.S. economy grew at a 6.4 percent annualized rate for the first three months of 2021. While that’s good news for companies and workers, asset managers are checking their expectations.

FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER? – Things to Consider Before Taking that Leap
May 1, 2021

Life is full of many exciting firsts. Your first steps, your first car, your first love, your first job, and now your first home! You’ve made it to what most would call “living the American dream,” but now what? Since buying a home will likely be one of the largest financial investments you’ll make in your lifetime, there are several things you need to consider before making that leap: