Year over year inflation was 10.32%. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to over 19%. A 3-month CD was yielding 18.3%, and mortgage rates topped 16%. The year was 1981. Fast forward 42 years. Year over year inflation in the US has topped 8% as of March 2022. Will it reach 1981 levels? Who knows […]
We started the 1st quarter 2022 after a strong 4th quarter 2021. The S&P500, DJIA and NASDAQ all finished the year at or near all-time highs. The market was unable to build on the December gains, and we hit some turbulence starting about the second week of January. We had not experienced a full 10% […]
Mark Sorenson | March 04, 2022 Uncertainty continues to impact the market. Geopolitical concerns like we are currently experiencing usually cause a negative market reaction in a shorter time frame, but historically they are always buying opportunities in hindsight. Investors need to look through market corrections and know that with patience, all will be ok […]
Mark Sorenson | February 21, 2022 The market has weakened over the last few days based on two main uncertainties. This market commentary should provide some perspective during market corrections like we are experiencing right now. It is interesting that the market historically goes up 80% of the time, but we tend to forget, this […]
I’m writing this piece in early February of 2022. Inflation! I bet you’ve heard this word a lot recently. I’d put money on it that you have been feeling it’s affects at the grocery store and gas pump. It’s hard to bury the fact that prices of most consumer goods and services have risen dramatically […]
Royal Fund Management | January 18, 2022 The year ended with a strong 4th quarter for the S&P500. It closed the quarter up 11.07% with nearly a 5% move the last 11 days. A Santa Clause rally? However, the technology-heavy Nasdaq underperformed the other major indices due to continued fear of inflation and higher interest […]
Are your Medicare premiums higher than you expected? Did you or someone you know receive notice of 2022 premium increases? Did the increase surprise you, and was it far greater than in previous years? 2022 Base Medicare Premiums Increase 14.5% Medicare premiums for Part B jumped from 14.5% from $148.50 per month in 2021 to […]
September is historically the worst month of the year for stocks, and it proved it in a big way this time. The S&P500 finished September with a loss of 4.8% but squeaked out a gain of .2% for the 3rd quarter 2021. It was widely anticipated that some profit taking was likely near as the […]
If you’ve ever worked for an employer who offered a workplace retirement plan, like a 401(k), you have probably completed a risk tolerance questionnaire at some point in your life. While most working adults are maybe at least somewhat familiar with a risk tolerance questionnaire very few folks have every been introduced to the concept […]
“A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush” is a proverbial saying used to declare the belief that it is better to hold onto something one has that is certain than to risk losing it by trying to get something better that is not certain. Often folks will use such a […]