NEW HOME SALES JUMP, RESALES DIP Existing home sales slumped 1.8% in August – their first retreat since March, according to the National Association of Realtors. This followed gains of 2% or more in each of the previous three months. News about new home purchases was better: the Census Bureau recorded an 18.0% increase for…
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The A, B, C, & D Of Medicare
Breaking down the basics & what each part covers. Whether your 65th birthday is on the horizon or decades away, you should understand the parts of Medicare – what they cover, and where they come from. Parts A & B: Original Medicare. America created a national health insurance program for seniors in 1965 with two…
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Weekly Economic Update – Sept. 22, 2014
INFLATION TOOK A HOLIDAY IN AUGUST Consumer prices fell 0.2% last month while producer prices stayed flat. Wall Street didn’t mind the dip in the Consumer Price Index – it saw less impetus for the Federal Reserve to alter its stance on interest rates. In its latest policy statement, the Fed reiterated its intent to…
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Your First RMD From Your IRA
What you need to know. When you reach age 70½, the IRS instructs you to start making withdrawals from your Traditional IRA(s). These IRA withdrawals are also called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). You will make them annually from now on.1 If you fail to take your annual RMD or take out less than what is…
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Weekly Economic Update – Sept. 15, 2014
SUMMER SPENDING SPREE LIFTS RETAIL SALES They increased 0.6% in August, easing some anxieties about a possible slowdown in personal spending. Core retail sales (which exclude auto, gas, food, and home improvement purchases and more closely match the consumer spending aspect of Gross Domestic Product) improved 0.4% last month, and were up 4.1% year-over-year. The…
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Weekly Economic Update – Sept. 8, 2014
WALL STREET TAKES JOBS DATA IN STRIDE In August, a notable hiring streak ended: for the first time since January, the economy failed to create 200,000 new jobs during a month. Investors were disappointed by the news from the Labor Department, but it came with a silver lining: the moderation in job gains may give…
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Gauging Your Financial Well-Being
Six signs that you are in good shape. How well off do you think you are financially? If your career or life takes an unexpected turn, would your finances hold up? What do you think will become of the money you’ve made and saved when you are gone? These are major questions, and most people…
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Weekly Economic Update – Sept. 1, 2014
WHY DID CONSUMER SPENDING DECLINE IN JULY? Last month’s 0.1% dip surprised analysts. In inflation-adjusted terms, the Commerce Department measured the pullback at 0.2%. Household confidence, though, continues to increase. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index finished August at 82.5, up from 81.8 at the end of July and refuting the Wall Street Journal…
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Debunking A Few Popular Retirement Myths
Certain misconceptions ignore the realities of retirement. Generalizations about money & retirement linger. Some have been around for decades, and some new clichés have recently joined their ranks. Let’s examine a few. “When I’m retired, I won’t really have to invest anymore.” Many people see retirement as an end instead of a beginning – a…
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