Should You Buy or Lease Your Next Vehicle?
Do you want to lease or buy a vehicle? We compare eight key points to consider in this week’s Financial Tip.
Do you want to lease or buy a vehicle? We compare eight key points to consider in this week’s Financial Tip.
While Millennials prefer cash over credit, our experts discuss why credit history is important and how to establish a good credit history.
After observing Memorial Day, market action was mixed on Tuesday. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index shed some points, while the NASDAQ landed in green territory for the session. Consumer confidence decreased this month, as the Conference Board reported a downswing to 92.6 in May from 94.7 in April, noting a slight slowing in the labor market. On another note, Commerce Department figures showed consumer spending ticked up in April with a 1% jump versus expectations of 0.7%. The result marked the strongest increase in seven years. Substantial demand for new vehicles and higher fuel prices led the advance. U.S. trading volumes were low on Wednesday, with nearly 6.5 billion shares exchanging hands compared with the year-to-date average of 7.8 billion shares. Despite the low volume, the major indices closed with gains. Indices closed with slight gains on Thursday, while the S&P 500 traded up to a seven-month high. Initial jobless claims decreased, dipping by 1,000 to 267,000. Crude oil moved up on a downswing in inventory levels when reserves retreated by 1.4 million barrels in the past week. Stocks ended in the red zone on Friday despite rebounding from early low levels. Less-than-stellar employment numbers likely led the decline. Labor Department figures showed an addition of 38,000 non-farm payrolls for May, versus economist expectations of 164,000. Additionally, numbers for March and April were downwardly revised by a combined amount of 59,000. Services industry activity also retreated in May as ISM non-manufacturing index dipped to 52.9 from 55.7 in April.
In today’s Marietta Daily Journal, Bil Lako, CFP® explains the how and why of your investments with your expenses 10 years prior. Read the Article
At 26 you’re no longer covered on your parents’ health care plans. Learn your options to obtain coverage on your own in this week’s Insurance Tip.
Overlook something on your tax return? You can easily amend your return and possibly avoid any IRS correspondence. Read all about it in this week’s Tax Tip.
Our experts discuss a case study about matching investments with known expenses 10 years prior to your need, and how to structure a fixed-income portfolio.
Indices began the week with a loss as Utilities and Telecommunication stocks led the slight downswing. West Texas Intermediate crude shed 0.7% to settle at $48.08 a barrel. Despite the rough beginning, the market indices traded well into the green zone on Tuesday. New home sales increased to an eight-year high in April. Sales jumped 16.6% last month to an annual pace of 619,000 versus expectations of 525,000. Stocks continued to rally on Wednesday with several Financial stocks posting gains after a jump in crude oil. Additionally, several Energy stocks stepped up on a dip in inventories. Energy Information Administration data showed reserves decreased by 4.2 million barrels in the past week. Markets were mixed on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 traded slightly lower, while the NASDAQ ended in the green zone. Initial jobless claims decreased as Labor Department data showed new filings for the prior week dipped by 10,000 to 268,000. On another note, durable goods orders increased by 3.4% in April. Technology, Financial and Consumer Discretionary stocks posted gains on Friday amid a variety of economic news. Revised gross domestic product numbers may have been an inspiration. The economy expanded at a pace of 0.8% in the first quarter, versus the previous estimate of 0.5% growth. The revised data was shy of an expected 0.9% rate.
Employers are eligible for the work opportunity tax credit through 2019 for hiring individuals from targeted groups. Learn what they are in this week’s Business Tip.
Once you reach an age where life insurance isn’t a priority, you have options other than abandoning the policy. We explain in this week’s Insurance Tip.