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“I just got a job and have a steady income. What now?” If there is one thing college doesn’t always prepare us for, it’s how to function in the “real world,” especially when it comes to dealing with finances, like paying bills, investing for the future, and doing taxes. As a finance major, I have […]

The latest massive ransomware attack, Petya, is quickly spreading to the United States. Similar to WannaCry, Petya capitalizes on the same Windows vulnerabilities, but Petya has developed an even more devastating result. If infected, Petya moves quickly to encrypt your computer boot files and shuts down your entire system leaving you with little to no […]

As the weather heats up and local amusement parks tune up their rides for the summer crowds, dreams of heading to Hershey Park, Six Flags or Kings Dominion are in full swing. If you are anything like me, you like the roller coasters that go fast, twist you up, down, left then right, and finish […]

Stocks Fly! Stock markets are off to a strong start in 2017 fueled by healthy earnings growth. As companies in the S&P 500 index begin to report their results for the 1st quarter, aggregate sales and earnings growth are currently up 4.4% and 13.2%, respectively, when compared to last year. Political tailwinds? While much of […]

We continue to observe evidence of accelerating economic growth, an environment that historically bodes very well for stocks. We remain optimistic and anticipate a positive investment climate to persist for much of 2017. Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist for First Trust Portfolios, shares a similar viewpoint in this short video about how and why he believes […]

As a hard-working American, you spend a lot of your life punching the clock day in and day out, dreaming of the day when you can trade your business attire for a swimsuit as you relax by the beach while RETIRED! When I think of retirement, I think of golf, tennis, DIY projects, relaxation, travel […]

On the campaign trail Donald Trump proposed significant changes to the income and transfer of taxation of individuals. Immediately upon Steven Mnuchin’s appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, Mnuchin made it clear there would be major changes to the tax code, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Reagan years. With the House […]

The stock market opened the year in a “risk-off” mode over fears of global growth slowing, falling oil prices, and a U.S. corporate earnings recession. By mid-February equities were down more than 10%. Although markets rebounded through the spring, the negative sentiment and volatility persisted for much of the first half. A quiet summer vacation […]

We’ve all seen the headlines in the news in recent years — “Data Breach at XYZ Company.” Big-name companies such as Yahoo, Google, CVS, U.S Olympic Committee, Capital One, and an uncomfortably long list of others have been named in those headlines. Nearly 1,000 data breaches in 2016 put the personal information of more than […]

You better watch out You better not cry Better not pout I’m telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town He’s making a list And checking it twice; He’s gonna find out Who’s naughty or nice Santa Claus is coming to town – Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Haven Gillespie and J. Fred […]

In an election night shocker, Donald Trump emerged from the presidential election as the victorious candidate. The Republican Party also retained control of both chambers of Congress. As the election night drama unfolded, the markets initially plunged -5% with the Dow futures trading down over 700 points. But it didn’t last long. In a year […]

Whether it’s a national election or a Fed vote on interest rates, markets hate uncertainty. Check out what’s been happening over the last quarter and our thoughts on where we go from here. Key themes from the third quarter Low Quality Dominates Brushing aside evidence of a global economic slowdown and political uncertainty, investors appear […]

“Trick or treat!” Soon kids will be out and about dressed as ghosts, goblins, princes and princesses, animals, superheroes, and much more. “Knock, knock, knock” we will hear at our doors, answering with anticipation to see who and what is visiting in search of their trick or treat. While I pride myself on providing […]

Hypothetical question: If you had to walk 10 blocks through a city, what would you wear? It seems like a pretty straightforward question, right? My initial thought is to look down at my clothes and say “this?” Am I the only one that would have that reaction? I am going to assume I am not […]

Key themes in the first half of 2016 Brexit The surprise result of the U.K.’s “Brexit” vote to leave the European Union shocked financial markets and left Europe stocks down -3.8% for the quarter. Global equities initially reacted with sharp declines, but recovered into quarter-end to finish up slightly. […]

What causes people of all ages to get outside and walk miles to catch fictional characters? Unless you have been living under a rock the past week, you know that the answer is Pokémon GO, the latest digital obsession. Perhaps it is the touch of nostalgia that Generation Y feels as they remember trading […]

What happened? On June 23, United Kingdom (UK) voters sent shockwaves through financial markets around the world by opting to leave the European Union (EU) by a 52% to 48% margin. The vote, commonly referred to as “Brexit” (by merging Britain and exit), sent the British Pound to a 31 year low versus the U.S. Dollar. […]

Say you are going to buy a car and walk into a Ford dealership with a list of features that you want in a new car. You hand the list to the Ford sales associate and ask them for a recommendation. Do you think their recommendation would be the best car for you or the […]

What is happening in the stock market?

After opening 2016 with the worst week on record, the remainder of the 1st quarter made it one of the most volatile since 2008, dominated by four large up & down moves of over 7%. When the dust settled, a late stock market bounce has, at least […]

What is happening in the stock market?

We currently observe weakening economic conditions and slowing corporate earnings growth combined with elevated equity valuations. With the odds of the U.S. economy slipping into recession increasing and heightened levels of geopolitical risk, we believe it is prudent to focus on capital preservation, reduce portfolio risk, and […]

An easy-to-understand video by Ray Dalio shows the basic driving forces behind the economy, and explains why economic cycles occur by breaking down concepts such as credit, interest rates, leveraging and deleveraging. […]