The U.S. economy is in uncharted waters. It has been expanding for more than 10 years—an unprecedented streak, based on National Bureau of Economic Research calculations dating back to 1854. As with bull markets for stocks, economic expansions don’t die of old age, but some people just get anxious when they think there’s been too much of a good thing. […]

By Joel Dresang
On the day devoted to celebrating America, I noticed how small the world is. My discovery was meaningful in light of ongoing financial developments. The week we returned from vacation, Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell—head of the monetary system for the United States—told Congress that he is concerned about the global economy and trade uncertainty and their impact on the U.S. economy. […]

By Kyle Tetting
We knew recovery from a financial crisis would be slow, but the more deliberate pace has allowed for protracted growth without the economic overheating that accompanies many expansions. […]

By Joel Dresang
Vacations seem a bigger deal now, with bigger bills. They can upset the spending plans of retirees. They can divert workers’ earnings from retirement savings. They can contribute to family debts. […]

By Joel Dresang
Only about 1 in 15 Americans has an online Social Security account and checks their benefits estimates once a year. I happen to be one of those few. Not only do I plan on Social Security being there for my wife and me when we retire, but I’m getting an idea of how much to expect and how that fits in with the rest of our plans. […]

After a healthy start for stocks and bonds in 2019, investors face uncertainties, including global economic sluggishness and the Federal Reserve’s plans for interest rates. Bob Landaas and Kyle Tetting recent developments and what they mean for investors in a MONEY TALK VIDEO. […]

By Joel Dresang
My wife and I have provided our daughters with limited financial assistance in college. That’s because a) We want our children to have some skin in the game, and b) We’ve needed to save for our retirement. College has presented a serious lesson in what we have hoped to instill in our children about personal finances: You have more opportunities than you have resources, so you must sort out your priorities and plan accordingly. […]

Credit for coining the term “skin in the game” commonly goes to the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett. But as wise and quotable as the billionaire is, the internet can easily overattribute him. As Yogi Berra is said to have said, “I never said most of the things I said.” […]

As concerns of economic slowdown gather, Bob Landaas and Kyle Tetting tell investors how to balance their life’s savings to weather the storm—whenever it comes. Bob and Kyle discussed the difficulty of forecasting recessions in a MONEY TALK VIDEO. […]

By Kyle Tetting
Following the best first quarter in two decades for the S&P 500, many investors are nearing the high-water marks notched by their portfolios just before the fourth-quarter 2018 sell-off. To see stocks fall at the end of one year and then rebound so dramatically with the turn of the calendar is uncommon. With uncommon market movements, though, investors need to guard against a common reaction—making abrupt shifts in their investment strategies. […]

A rare inversion of the yield curve—when long-term yields get lower than short-term—occurred on March 22. The phenomenon ended within a week but not without reminders that inverted yield curves frequently precede economic recessions. More important than their power to predict imminent downturns, though, is the message that inverted yield curves send to investors. […]

By Bob Landaas
Analysts have known for years that longer term, interest rates and corporate earnings drive stock prices. So, it was welcome news in January that the Federal Reserve is now on hold with raising short-term interest rates. Since December 2015, the Federal Reserve has sent short-term interest rates higher, unsettling markets. While it is premature to say that the Fed is done raising rates, it now appears that the central bank is mostly done, which should support stock prices. […]