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Monthly Archives: March 2019

  • Apps and Life Hacks

Apps and Life Hacks

2025-03-26T08:39:55-05:00March 29, 2019|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: , |

Apps and Life Hacks

Apps and Life Hacks

While tax season has nearly come and gone, it’s always nice to have a few ideas to help you close out the current tax season and plan for next year.

Managing your finances can be a lot easier with the right tools, and there are several apps available to simplify budgeting, saving, and investing. For example, Mint is great for millennials, helping manage everything from bills to budgets with ease. If you’re new to investing, Acorns makes it simple to start with spare change, while Stock Twits helps track stocks and connect with other investors. These apps help you stay organized and save for the future, making tax season more manageable.

Additionally, tools like Qapital and Honey offer ways to save money, whether through personalized budgeting or automatically applying promotional codes to your purchases. For business owners, QuickBooks Intuit helps with budgeting and invoicing. New …

Treasury Yields Prompt Concerns

2019-03-25T14:50:03-05:00March 25, 2019|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 25, 2019
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

The Week on Wall Street

Friday, the yield of the 3-month Treasury bill exceeded the yield of the 10-year Treasury note for the first time in 12 years. For some analysts, this “inverted yield curve” may imply a short-term lessening of confidence. (Treasury yields move inversely to Treasury prices.)

As a result, the S&P 500 ended the week 0.94% lower. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.80%, and the Dow Industrials lost 1.19%.

In contrast, the MSCI EAFE index following international stocks rose, gaining 0.52% for the week.

Fed Sees No Hikes in 2019

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, but lowered its estimate of 2019 economic growth to 2.1%.

Last December, the central bank forecast two rate hikes in 2019. It now expects to leave rates unchanged this year, with one quarter-point hike projected for 2020.

This pivot may acknowledge a slight …

  • Women & Investing

Women & Investing

2025-03-26T08:43:32-05:00March 20, 2019|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: , |

Women & Investing

Women & Investing

Women investors face special challenges that make financial literacy and advanced planning especially important. For example, women are more likely to outlive their husbands or have divorce disproportionately affect them, making long-term financial strategies especially critical.

Women face unique challenges when it comes to investing and managing their finances. They often outlive their husbands, which can create stressful situations, especially if the husband has managed the finances. Studies show that many women are not actively involved in financial planning. For example, only 24% of women in their 50s have a financial plan in place. On top of this, women earn less than men and are more likely to take time off for caregiving, both of which impact their ability to save for retirement.

Women also tend to be more conservative investors. This cautious approach can help protect their assets, but it may result in lower returns over …

Dow, S&P, Nasdaq All Rise

2019-03-18T13:31:25-05:00March 18, 2019|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 18, 2019
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

The Week on Wall Street

The big story last week was the sudden grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 passenger jets in dozens of countries. The financial effects of this ban could potentially impact the airline industry and segments of the economy for months.

While the news created a headwind for the Dow Industrials, stocks managed to post solid gains for the week. The Nasdaq Composite rose 3.12%; the S&P 500, 2.46%; the Dow, 2.25%.

Bullish sentiment was also evident overseas. Looking at the MSCI EAFE index, international stocks advanced 1.93%.

Trade Meeting Delayed

Wall Street expected President Trump and Chinese President Xi to discuss trade issues this month. Thursday, Bloomberg reported that their talk had been postponed, with no firm date ahead.

Muted Inflation

The latest Consumer Price Index showed just a 1.5% rise in overall consumer costs in the …

Stocks Dip on Growth Concerns

2019-03-11T15:53:18-05:00March 11, 2019|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 11, 2019
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

The Week on Wall Street

As in February, investors spent most of the first full trading week of March hoping for new details in U.S.-China trade negotiations. While they waited, stock benchmarks drifted downward. From Monday’s open to Friday’s close, the S&P 500 lost 2.55%, while the Dow Industrials took a 2.66% fall, and the Nasdaq Composite weakened 3.12%. The MSCI EAFE index tracking developed markets outside the U.S. and Canada fell 1.09%.

Why did stocks lose momentum? In a hint that global economic growth might be slowing, the European Central Bank abruptly reduced its 2019 Gross Domestic Product forecast for the eurozone from 1.7% to 1.1%. A disappointing reading on U.S. hiring also raised questions.

Perplexing Jobs Data

According to the Department of Labor, the economy generated only 20,000 net new jobs in February. This was the smallest monthly gain …

  • 6 Steps for Early Retirement

6 Steps for Early Retirement

2025-03-26T08:45:02-05:00March 7, 2019|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: , , |

6 Steps for Early Retirement

6 Steps for Early Retirement
We’ve gotten a lot of questions recently on what it takes to retire early. While leaving the workforce may sound appealing, the people we work with want to make sure they have enough money saved and their portfolio is positioned for the road ahead.

Retiring early can seem like a dream, but it comes with its own set of challenges. Your savings must last longer, and the last thing you want is to run out of money. With careful planning, early retirement is possible, and there are six key steps to make sure you’re prepared. If you want more detailed guidance or help with your specific financial plan, reaching out to your team at CTS Financial Group is a great next step.

The first step is to create a budget. Retirement looks different for everyone, so it’s important to understand what your lifestyle …

S&P Ends Week Little Changed

2019-03-04T14:01:54-06:00March 4, 2019|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 4, 2019
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

The Week on Wall Street

Stocks lost a little ground as February gave way to March. While domestic and overseas political developments made headlines, the market stayed relatively calm: from Monday’s open through Friday’s close, the S&P 500 ceded just 0.17%, finishing the week at 2,803.69.

The Dow declined 0.65% in five trading sessions to 26,026.32, while the Nasdaq finished the week 0.06% higher at 7,595.35. The MSCI EAFE index of international stocks rose 0.24% for the week.

Volatility has dropped in the past few weeks. Wall Street has grown less anxious about the possibility of new tariffs and higher interest rates this year.

Powell Shares His Outlook

Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told the Senate that Fed officials would take a “patient approach” with regard to future interest rate moves. Powell called the economy “healthy,” but noted that “conflicting …

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