Articles & Commentary
Please choose any of the following articles below that interest you. Each article is listed under the month it was written. Articles written in prior months may still have educational interest.
Over $1 Trillion Paid Out In Social Security Benefits In 2021
A U.S. Government report compiled and released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that 48 percent of individuals 55 [...]
Record Mortgage Issuance Expected To Continue…For Now
A robust housing market led to a record number of mortgages issued in 2020, with over $4 trillion in mortgage [...]
Life Expectancy Drops
Recently released data by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention reveal that life expectancy in the U.S. declined by [...]
Rates Start Their Steady Climb
Various fixed income analysts expect a reversal in downward trending rates as the Fed prepares to start raising short term [...]
Equity Markets Surprised Many in 2021
All sectors of the S&P 500 Index posted gains in 2021, with the energy sector leading, following a dismal outcome [...]
Macro Economic Overview
A year after Covid-19 changed the course of travel, socialization, and financial markets, 2021 witnessed a much quicker rebound than [...]
Market Indexes / January 2022
(all values as of 12.31.2021) Stock Indexes: Dow Jones 36,338 S&P 500 4,766 Nasdaq 15,644 Bond Sector Yields: 2 Yr [...]
Labor Force Participation Rate Still Below Prior To Pandemic
Workers across all age groups are still not willing or able to work as they did before the pandemic. The [...]
Release of Oil Reserves Hasn’t Reduced Gas Prices Much If Any
The administration announced in November that it had authorized the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the strategic [...]
IRS Introduces New Tax Brackets & Standard Deductions For 2022
Heading into the new year, the recent higher than expected inflation numbers will also be affecting tax rates for everyone. [...]
How Inflation Might Ease
The pandemic pulled forward or accelerated an enormous amount of consumer spending that was pent up for months during lock [...]
Rates In Flux As Omicron Creates Uncertainty
The renomination of Fed Chair Jerome Powell for another four years is not expected to result in any changes to [...]