estate planning Archives - CTS Financial Group

Mixed Data, Mixed Results

jmuch2024-12-16T08:42:48-06:00December 16, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: 401(k), alternative investments, artificial intelligence, chicago, estate planning, Fed, financial planning, financial strategy, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, retirement, retirement planning, risk management, taxes, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of December 16th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks finished the week mixed, bookending losses around midweek gains as investors digested fresh inflation data.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slipped 0.64 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index ticked up 0.34 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.82 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slid 1.48 percent.

Up and Down Week
Stocks fell broadly over the first part of the week. Leading chipmakers who produce semiconductors for artificial intelligence applications were under pressure after Chinese regulators announced an antimonopoly investigation.

Investors breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday morning following news that consumer inflation in November was in line with expectations. Mega-cap tech stocks led the rally, with the Nasdaq closing above 20,000 for the first time. Meanwhile, the Dow fell as healthcare stocks came under pressure.

Stocks remained in the trading range for the …

Markets Mixed; Jobs Back on Track

jmuch2024-12-09T09:57:23-06:00December 9, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, debt, estate planning, financial planning, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, risk management, social security, taxes, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of December 9th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks were mixed during the first trading week of December. Technology stocks led, while the widely followed Dow Jones Industrial Average struggled.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 3.34 percent while the Dow Industrials lost 0.60 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.96 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 1.46 percent.

Tech Takes Charge
The S&P and Nasdaq rallied to start the week, closing at record highs Monday and Tuesday. The Dow fell on both days. During a conference speech, Fed governor Christopher Waller said he supports a rate adjustment in December for now, which seemed to add momentum to the S&P’s and Nasdaq’s gains.

Tech shares continued to propel stock gains midweek on the strength of a few better-than-expected Q3 reports.

On Friday, the S&P and Nasdaq hit new record highs following …

Solid Gains for Thanksgiving Week

jmuch2024-12-02T05:45:52-06:00December 2, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, estate planning, financial planning, financial strategy, Inflation, insurance, Interest Rates, investing, investment, market volatility, markets, PPI, retirement, retirement planning, risk, risk management, social security, taxes, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

December 2nd, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted solid gains over a short and busy holiday week as investors parsed fresh economic data, comments on potential future trade policy, and a few Q3 reports from technology companies.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.06 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.13 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.39 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 2.02 percent.

Rally Extends
Stocks staged a broad-based rally to start the week as investors reacted to the nominee for Secretary of the Treasury. Small-cap stocks continued their month-to-date surge as the Russell 2000 Index rose to an all-time high. News that consumer confidence rose in November appeared to contribute to gains.

Then stocks took a pre-Thanksgiving pause as investors digested economic data. Also, disappointing Q3 updates from two computer hardware manufacturers weighed on the tech …

Rally Loses Steam; Fed Weighs Move

jmuch2024-11-18T08:50:26-06:00November 18, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: alternative investments, chicago, CPI, estate planning, financial planning, financial strategy, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, retirement, risk management, taxes, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of November 18th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks fell last week as the post-election rally lost momentum amid an inflation uptick and cautious comments from Fed officials.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 2.08 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 3.15 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.24 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dropped by 2.38 percent.

Rally Fizzles, Data Rattles
Stocks began the week with modest gains as all three major indexes hit record highs. On Tuesday, stocks took a breather with monthly inflation pending.

News that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) ticked up slightly in October injected some uncertainty into the markets. The Producer Price Index released the following day showed wholesale inflation ticked up last month. While both the CPI and PPI aligned with expectations, investors hoped for better news.
Comments from Fed Chair Powell that the …

Stocks Surge Post-Election; Fed Cuts Quarter Point

jmuch2024-11-11T10:23:55-06:00November 11, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: AI, chicago, CPI, estate planning, Fed, financial planning, financial strategy, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, retirement, risk management, social security, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of November 11th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks surged higher last week, fueled by the Fed’s rate cut decision and post-election enthusiasm as investors looked to future policy impacts of a Republican-controlled Senate and executive branch. (The House of Representatives still remains officially undecided.)

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index spiked 4.65 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 5.74 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.61 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was basically flat (down 0.02 percent).

Stocks Extend Rally on Election News
It was a shaky start to the week for stocks as investors anxiously awaited election results and the Fed’s interest-rate decision.

On Election Day, stocks rallied broadly before polling places closed. After the election was called early the next morning, stocks opened higher and climbed throughout the trading session. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to …

Stocks Retreat on Jobs and Election Concerns

jmuch2024-11-04T14:45:53-06:00November 4, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: artificial intelligence, chicago, CPI, estate planning, financial planning, Inflation, insurance, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, retirement, retirement planning, risk, risk management, social security, sustainability, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of November 4th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks slid last week as mixed economic data and strong-but-not-spectacular Q3 corporate reports failed to inspire investors.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.36 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 1.50 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.15 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slid 0.96 percent.

Q3 Reports Uninspired
Stocks rallied early Wednesday after the gross domestic product report showed a strong economy that appeared on the path to a soft landing. However, stocks moved lower throughout the day as investors digested mixed Q3 reports from a few mega-cap tech names.

Stocks were under more pressure Thursday as disappointing outlooks for some key tech companies pulled the market down. A softer-than-expected jobs report on Friday unsettled investors, but stocks picked up as the day progressed, and attention shifted to how the …

Stocks Mixed Ahead of Election

jmuch2024-10-28T05:11:01-05:00October 28, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: artificial intelligence, chicago, CPI, debt, estate planning, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, risk management, social security, taxes, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of October 28th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks were mixed last week as fresh economic data points and election-related uncertainty slowed market momentum.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 0.96 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.16 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.68 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slid 2.30 percent.

Nasdaq Leads
Stocks were mixed for the first half of the week as investors geared up for a steady stream of Q3 reports. The 10-year Treasury yield continued to trend higher, which caught the attention of some traders.
Markets fell Wednesday morning with news that existing home sales fell to a 14-year low in October; still slowed by higher interest rates, sales are on track for their worst year since 1995. Also, pre-election jitters remained an undertow with traders.

News that durable goods orders rose in September buoyed …

Sixth Week of Gains on Wall Street

jmuch2024-10-21T10:15:54-05:00October 21, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: AI, alternative investments, chicago, CPI, debt, estate planning, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, retirement, risk management, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of October 21st, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted modest gains last week, with quarterly earnings season in full swing and the election on the horizon.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.85 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.80 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.96 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 0.31 percent.

Six in a Row
Stocks bolted out of the gate as the week began. The S&P 500 and the Dow Industrials hit record highs, with the Dow crossing 43,000 for the first time.

Midweek, the news of stronger-than-expected retail sales report contributed to overall market momentum. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in September, topping economists’ forecasts.

As the week wrapped up, the technology sector helped fuel a rally that pushed the S&P and Nasdaq to another record high. It was the sixth …

Fed Cuts Interest Rate By Half-Point

jmuch2024-09-23T10:31:26-05:00September 23, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, estate planning, Fed, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, retirement, risk, risk management, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of September 23rd, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks moved higher last week after the Federal Reserve’s half-point rate cut, bolstered by multiple data points supporting a cooling but still strong economy and decelerating inflation.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.36 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.49 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved ahead by 1.62 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, inched up 0.42 percent.

Fed Cuts Rate 0.5 Percent
Stocks traded in a narrow range for the first half of the week as anxious investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) September meeting.

Shortly after 2 pm ET Wednesday, the Fed announced it was cutting rates by a half percentage point—a more significant cut than some investors anticipated. Stocks initially rose in response and then fell. Some market watchers attributed the decline to concern …

Caring for Aging Parents – Part I

jmuch2024-02-28T22:18:55-06:00February 28, 2024|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: aging parents, estate planning, retirement, retirement planning, sandwich generation|