November 2024

Economy Health Check

We are now in the final quarter of the year, meaning we have three-quarters of economic data that can be used to spot trends and assess the current state of affairs. So, what are these statistics telling us, and are these data points in line with how Americans view the economy?

In this edition of The Monthly Minute, Ryan Kropog highlights four (4) recent economic readings that help gauge the current state of the US economy.

October 2024

The Federal Reserve Reverses Course

The Federal Reserve has made their first interest rate cut since dramatically increasing interest rates throughout 2022 and 2023. In this edition of the Monthly Minute, Chris Rodriguez discusses some of the economic effects that this cut can cause.

September 2024

Key Factors Driving the Stock Market

In this edition of The Monthly Minute, Courtney Valentine points out variables that will impact the stock market as the Federal Reserve decreases interest rates.

August 2024

IRS Throws Us a Lifeline

A recently amended IRS rule now allows individuals to take a penalty-free withdrawal from their retirement account for an unspecified emergency. Penalty-free withdrawals for those under the age of 59.5 were previously limited in nature. This is a big win for the American worker who has chosen to save rather than spend!

In this edition of The Monthly Minute, Ryan Kropog breaks down the details of this new rule.

July 2024

Coming off the heels of 2022, many investors, economists, and consumers predicted that a recession was looming on the horizon due to the rapid increase in interest rates that we had experienced. So far, this scenario still hasn’t come to pass. Why is that?

In this edition of The Monthly Minute, Chris Rodriguez reviews recent data to help explain why the economy has managed to avoid a recession thus far.

June 2024

In this edition of The Monthly Minute, Courtney Valentine discusses recent shifts in Fed policy and the ripple effects on bond markets.

March 2024

Stocks and Bonds in 2024: A Tale of Two Asset Classes

Stocks and bonds have had a divergent path to start the year. But why? In the latest edition of The Monthly Minute, Ryan Kropog discusses the recent performance of these two major asset classes and what to expect for the rest of 2024.

February 2024

Market Expectations: 2024 Election

As we move further into 2024, one thing that will be dominating this year’s headlines will be this year’s presidential election. For February’s edition of The Monthly Minute, Chris Rodriguez looks at how the stock market has historically performed during election years.

January 2024

Navigating the Market: 2023 Review and 2024 Outlook

In this edition of the Monthly Minute, Courtney Valentine delves into the economic landscape of 2023, exploring its challenges and triumphs, and offers insights into the potential developments and expectations for the year 2024.