The U.S. banking system has been under scrutiny since the collapse and seizure of Silicon Valley Bank by the FDIC on March 10. While the S&P 500 is almost 16% higher year-to-date, the KBW Bank and Regional Bank indexes are around 20% lower for the year. The seriousness of the…

It’s the heaviness of the selling volume in these big market capitalization stocks that stands out. These New York Stock Exchange listed names don’t get half the coverage in the financial media as some tech and social media favorites. It would be easy to miss how far down some former…

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension system in the United States, is on the hunt for a new Chief Investment Officer. This development comes after the unexpected resignation of CIO Nicole Musicco, who will reportedly vacate her post on September 29th. CalPERS is a crucial financial…

S till in their mid-50s, Gloria and Kevin Murray of Morgan Hill, California, at the Silicon Valley’s southern tip, are planning well ahead to enjoy their future empty nester status, and ultimately, their retirement years. They recently bought a house 500 miles to the north in Bend, Oregon, where they…

Bloomberg has released its predictions for the tax rates in 2024. These predictions are based on the Chained Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) data reported from September 2022 to August 2023 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The IRS relies on this data for annual adjustments to…

For many people, when they hit a tough time in their life, the go to advice from well meaning friends seems to be “don’t worry about it” and while this is often easier said than done, the basis of this advice is to control what you can control, and let…

Wealth management firms serve a clientele that is used to luxury, which means firms have a lot to learn from the luxury industry. When financial advisors talk about the work they do, they may mention a suite of services ranging from estate planning, tax planning, and investment management. But when…

The Enhanced American Retirement Now Act (EARN) is a proposed legislation aimed at improving retirement savings and simplifying plan administration. As of now, the EARN Act has not been passed. The bill was introduced on June 22, 2022, and its last action was on September 8, 2022, when it was…

August retail sales on Thursday are expected to slow significantly from last month’s pace. With the U.S. consumer critical to the health of the overall economy and GDP growth, will this be the beginning of the end or the pause that refreshes? As one would expect, job growth significantly impacts…

The Fed has hiked rates eleven times since March 2022. The driving force behind the market’s ups and downs since then has been Federal Reserve policy and inflation data, with corporate earnings yielding center stage. The focus on macroeconomic data and central bank policy was warranted coming off an unprecedented…