Venturing out after hunkering down
By Kyle Tetting
How the stock market is supposed to work in the short run is traders weigh the positive and negative headlines and step on the gas or pump the brakes accordingly. As the divergence between positive and negative headlines narrows along with the range of our expectations for the future, the fits and starts of a recovery begin to smooth.
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Money Talk News
Unofficially, we’re in a recession
Don’t hold your breath for official declaration of a recession. Just figure we’re already in one. […]
Preparing for what comes next
By Kyle Tetting
Stocks are typically a poor representation of the current condition. And, with plenty of uncertainty about the future, it makes sense to put the latest rally in perspective. […]
Staying ready for uncertainty
By Joel Dresang
Like news editors, investors can plan and prepare with the best information available at the time, but they cannot foresee every possible cataclysm. […]
Keeping balance in unnerving times
By Bob Landaas
These are certainly trying times for investors. As the novel coronavirus spreads, significant sectors of the U.S. economy have either slowed or shut down. The plunge in stock prices has unnerved even seasoned, long-term investors. […]
From peak to bear, now seeking normalcy
By Kyle Tetting
Every bull market seems to end abruptly, but this one felt particularly rushed. […]
Featured Articles
Income, tax holiday for older retirees As part of the $2 trillion initiative to stimulate the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has suspended required minimum distributions for calendar year 2020. That means retirees in their 70s who were supposed to withdraw money from tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as IRAs can skip a year, thus avoiding the income tax they’d have to pay on such withdrawals. […]
Spend to save the economy By Joel Dresang
The economy’s reliance on consumer spending is exactly why Congress included provisions to put money in citizens’ pockets as part of the $2.2 trillion rescue package it passed in March. That’s how $2,400 got from the U.S. Treasury to our checking account. Now, it’s our patriotic duty to put that money to work. […]
Holding the fort for clients and colleagues Most of the Landaas & Company staff have been able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a core of 11 employees continues going to the office to answer phones, process mail, prepare reports and administer documents. Their efforts are crucial to enabling the remote work of the rest of the firm. […]
The simple bear necessities By Kyle Tetting and Joel Dresang
It’s fair to say that March 2020 marked the end of the longest bull market in history, begun in March 2009. On March 12, the closing price on the S&P 500 fell more than 20% below its Feb. 19 peak, marking the beginning of the first bear market in 11 years. Technically, the beginnings and ends, depths and breadths of bear and bull markets vary by what precisely analysts measure. There’s devilish disagreement in the details. […]
Investors benefit from historic stimulus The $2 trillion emergency spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump at the end of March includes several provisions of interest to investors and retirees. Chris Evers and Patrick Weyer compiled some highlights, based on what was known at the time the bill was signed into law. To learn how any of the provisions apply to you individually, please consult with your investment advisor as well as a tax professional, if appropriate. […]