The third quarter brought continued market weakness due to concerns about high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases to slow the economy. The Fed has now raised interest rates five times since March and indicated that more increases are coming. The idea that interest rates will stay higher for longer has shaken investors, …
S&P 500
1st Quarter 2022 SWMG Newsletter
We have had a much different market experience in 2022 compared to last year. Through the end of the first quarter, the S&P 500 is down 4.6% after ending 2021 near all-time highs. The COVID situation has improved but the markets have been on edge due to the devastation in Ukraine. Also, the markets have …
4th Quarter Capital Market Review
Stocks had another strong year in 2021 with rising consumer demand driven by the reopening of the global economy and record corporate profits. The S&P 500 (US large cap stocks) was up 28.7% led by the energy, real estate, financials and information technology sectors (see page 14). The S&P was up about 11% in the …
Hidden Costs of No-Cost Trading
Last year, Charles Schwab announced that they were reducing trading fees to zero, and Ameritrade, E*TRADE and Fidelity shortly followed. Hooray, free trades! For consumers of these companies, however, there really is no free lunch. It is important to look to see what you are actually paying for, good or bad. It may be that …