The image of Santa Claus flying his sleigh began in 1819 and was created by Washington Irving, the same author who dreamt up the Headless Horseman. (Source: the factfile.org)
The six-biggest banks will be able to buy back as much as $11 billion of their own shares in the first quarter after the Federal Reserve gave lenders the green light in response to the most recent stress tests.
We’ll be wrapping up another year over the next eight trading sessions, and 2020 has been quite a present indeed. We were all coping with some of the worst national news in a decade, while our lives and those of our friends, loved ones and coworkers were turned upside down. By the end of March, it looked like it was going to be a bah-humbug year.
By Theresa Fry, Senior Vice President and Manager, IRA’s, Retirement & Education Planning
A key feature of the CARES Act was improving access to retirement account assets for those who suffered adverse financial consequences because of the coronavirus COVID-19 – access that otherwise would not have been available. As a result, in 2020 coronavirus-related distributions were introduced.
Coronavirus-related distributions are available to you if:
By Debbie Placke, Vice President and Manager, Financial Planning Strategies and Marketing
As 2020 comes to an end, the coronavirus pandemic has proven devastating both in health and finances for many Americans. Countless individuals are looking forward to 2021 with the hope that it will bring with it more peace and stability. Now is the ideal time to review aspects of your finances that are not always front and center.
As of Thursday, December 10th, 28 Division I men’s basketball programs had yet to play a game this season. The NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship generated in excess of $1 billion in the latest year it was played (2019). Television and marketing rights garnered $867.5 million while ticket sales generated another $177.9 million. Of that amount, over 20% is distributed to Division I schools to help fund NCAA sports and provide scholarships for college athletes.
Last week’s market action had an odd sort of ring to it. Throughout the week there were overtones of a sucking, sinking sound as market averages wallowed lower. That was interspersed with the occasional whoosh of a rocket blast-off as initial offerings of some high-profile young companies began trading, registering gains of 80% to 100+% on their initial trades. The impressive launches of those new stocks are the market’s way of shouting that the strong bullish mood is still in play.
By Jeffrey R. Wolfe, Senior Vice President, Manager of Wealth Planning Strategies
As a vexing 2020 comes to an end, it’s a good time to review your tax situation for opportunities to pay less taxes or pay taxes at a lower rate. There has been a significant amount of volatility in the markets this year, so consider reviewing your portfolio, other investments and your projected income to see where you may find yourself on the tax bracket spectrum.
I’m not sure anyone would disagree that the past 12 months have been stressful and a whirlwind, but they’ve also been eventful. This has been particularly true with all the recent regulatory changes impacting retirement plan accounts. In fact, the last 12 months have brought some of the most significant changes to retirement plan law in more than a decade.
Twenty-three sets of brothers died when the USS Arizona was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. (Source: History.com)
In recent years, online retailing was taking about a 1% share annually from brick-and-mortar stores. Yet in a single quarter this year it took a 4% share, or four years’ worth of market share capture in three months.
Stocks floated higher again last week, buoyed by hopes for a brighter future on the promise of COVID vaccines and fiscal stimulus. The market is looking beyond the current rate of record new infections and apparently sees much sweeter times ahead. The frantic pace of the early-November rally, coming into and after the election, has subsided, but the market continues to trend higher. For the second consecutive week,
