Biotech stocks are having a bad year with the major biotech ETF trending downward for months now — but at least 3 Nasdaq-traded biotechnology companies are now hitting new 52-week highs: Applied Therapeutics, Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Vertex Pharmaceuticals VRTX have been bucking the trend for the sector. Although each sector…

Earnings season began slowly last week, with 12 S&P 500 companies reporting. Banks and financial companies closed out the week with better-than-expected earnings. Despite a slightly hotter-than-expected consumer inflation (CPI) reading, stocks were somewhat higher, and yields declined. The S&P 500 rose by 0.5% for the week, and the 10-year…

These 3 real estate investment trusts this week hit new price highs and each one pays a dividend of greater than 3%: Sabra Healthcare REIT, CareTrust REIT and InvenTrust Properties. They’re all continuing upward despite the recent trend of most REITs, as measured by benchmark ETFs, to keep dropping. Real…

Social Security benefits will increase 3.2% in 2024 for the nation’s 71 million recipients, raising the average monthly check for a single retired worker to $1,907, up $59 from $1,827 this year, and for a retired couple both receiving benefits to $3,033, up $94 from $2,939 this year, the Social…

When to start claiming Social Security benefits is the one question that often crosses people’s minds when they begin financial planning discussions. Unfortunately, there’s no universally applicable answer; it’s a nuanced matter that requires careful deliberation. However, there are several key considerations to think about before making this pivotal decision…

The CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSEG), Julia Hoggett, spoke to Bloomberg recently on how the United Kingdom (UK) is losing out on a war for talent. She suggested that the UK is at risk of losing top executive talent to the United States, Europe or even…

Typically, your financial plan contains assets, liabilities, and investments. However, knowing the difference between these categories helps you to use them appropriately. What is an Asset? An asset is something that has value. When we say “value,” we don’t mean intrinsic value. Instead, the value of an asset is whatever…

For over 500 years, estate planning has been an antiquated, costly, and offline industry. As such, research has shown that because such services have mainly been available to the wealthy, the industry has contributed to wealth inequality by providing the means for the rich to shield assets from taxation. But…

Firm: Merit Financial Advisors Name: Rick Kent Location: Alpharetta, GA Team Custodied Assets: $7.9 billion Forbes Rankings: America’s Top RIA Firms, America’s Top Wealth Advisors, Best-In-State Wealth Advisors Background: Rick Kent grew up in Southern Indiana, right across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. After attending Indiana University Southeast, he became…

Firm: Pence Wealth Management Name: Laila Marshall-Pence Location: Newport Beach, CA Team Custodied Assets: $1.7 billion Forbes Rankings: America’s Top RIA Firms, America’s Top Wealth Advisors, Best-In-State Wealth Advisors Background: At 12-years-old, Laila Marshall-Pence and her mother immigrated to the United States from Egypt after the Six-Day War. In 1980,…