Insights

Some investors may worry about the stock market sinking after a recession is officially announced. But history shows that markets incorporate expectations ahead of economic reports. The global financial crisis offers a lesson in the forward-looking nature of the stock market. The US recession spanned from December 2007 to May 2009(1), as indicated by the shaded area in the chart. But the official “in recession” announcement came in December 2008—a year after the recession had started. By then, stock prices
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With all the talk about inflation these days, you may have heard the news that the 2023 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits is 8.7%, the largest in four decades. If you are approaching or over age 62 and haven’t filed for your retirement benefits, you may be wondering if you should file earlier than planned so you do not miss out on the increase. The reality is that you do not need to file now to benefit from
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On November 8, US voters will cast their ballots for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate. Many investors are concerned with the effect of election results. Do past results suggest a useful strategy to deal with election-year uncertainty? The answer is yes. For the 96-year period ending in 2021, the S&P 500 Index (with dividends reinvested) posted an average return of 12.33% for all calendar years and results were negative in roughly
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