Financial Strategies Group

By no measure was 2022 a good year for investors. The bond market had its worst year ever (depending on which index you use), and the S&P 500 was down 18.11%. When stocks and bonds are both down significantly, this creates a problem for investors with the “traditional” 60/40 stock/bond … [Read more...] about FOURTH QUARTER MARKET UPDATE- A QUICK LOOK BEHIND AND A LONG LOOK AHEAD

    There is no doubt that the rapidly growing inflation rates seen around the world in 2022 have severely impacted Americans. September 2022 numbers show the US inflation rate hovering at about 8.2% for the previous 12 months(1) as American families struggle to keep up with rising … [Read more...] about THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF INFLATION: IRS ANNOUNCES TAX INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS FOR 2023

If you’ve ever planted and cared for trees, particularly fruit trees, you know that, in the initial years, the saplings require quite a bit of extra attention. Newly planted trees need lots of water until established, along with fertilizer and prudent trimming. Initially, trimming branches may … [Read more...] about THIRD QUARTER MARKET UPDATE: BEAR MARKET BOUNCES

It's that time of year again where most General Motors employees will be eligible to receive their annual profit-sharing check on February 25th. This year, approximately 42,500 U.S. hourly workers will receive up to $10,250 in profit sharing. This is a major annual event that occurs for most General … [Read more...] about 2022 General Motors Profit Sharing

Once every 18 months. That is how often the S&P 500 drops 10%, also known as a “correction”. We all remember the last correction (also commonly referred to as a “crash”), which happened in March of 2020. But what you may not remember is how long it took for the market to recover from that crash. … [Read more...] about Market Update: The Correction that was Due?

The first season of a great television series is often hard to top. The excitement of a new plot, meeting the major characters, and understanding the themes of the show means that every subsequent season will be compared to the first. Well, if 2020 was season one of the pandemic 2021 was the … [Read more...] about Quarter 4 Market Update- A New Year Holds Familiar And New Challenges

FANG is an acronym first coined by CNBC’s Jim Cramer in 2013. The acronym stands for Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. These 4 innovative companies were dominating the conversation and the market at the time. The acronym quickly caught on and became common lingo in the investing … [Read more...] about FANG IS NOW MA MAAN

"THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF INVESTING FOR RETIREMENT" DO Diversify your portfolio. This may sound cliché but it is vitally important. Diversification acts as an insulator against the ups and downs of the market. If you own too much in any one company, economic sector, asset type, or country you are … [Read more...] about How to Make the Most out of Your Retirement Accounts

A tremendous amount happened this past quarter at least from a geopolitical perspective. As far as the market is concerned nothing significant happened. The DOW opened July at 34,507 and opened on September 30th at 34,467. If you closed your eyes on July 1 and didn’t open them until October 1, you … [Read more...] about 2021 Third Quarter Market Update- The Markets Are Spinning Wheels

From where did you learn most of your life skills? How did you learn to brush your teeth, read, write, or drive a car? Personally, I learned these things from my parents and teachers. Here is a topic that affects just about every facet of our lives and many parents have limited knowledge of it and … [Read more...] about The Importance Of Financial Literacy and Its Importance In Our Lives