Month: September 2018

How does the Fed rate hike affect my stock portfolio?

Today the Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates for the 3rd time this year to 2.25%. This is good news for your savings account as you are likely to see a slight boost in your interest rates; but that is no guarantee as many major banks are still paying close to zero. More importantly, you may be wondering what impact the rate hike has on your investment portfolio, especially stocks. Is this a reason for concern?

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Are you prepared for the next financial hurricane?

The media is focused on Hurricane Florence and its path toward the Carolinas and Virginia. Being a category 4 hurricane with 130 mph sustained winds, over a million residents are subject to mandatory evacuation due to risk of life-threatening storm surge, dangerous winds, and flooding. Our government is warning residents to take protective measures. This week also marks the 10th anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse; yet in the financial industry, investors are often told to stay the course and ride out the storm. Can you suffer through another bear market like 2000 or 2008 when the S&P 500 fell over 50%?

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Can index annuities provide stock market returns?

For several years, I have written in-depth annuity reviews because there is little information about these complex products. Many retirees are being enticed by free dinner seminars and promises of huge returns with no risk. I give an A+ to insurance companies for producing a product that they claim to be “no fee” (are you kidding me? Fees are simply hidden so you can't see them), no downside risk (yes true) and still has the potential for stock market returns (too good to be true). Let's take a look at that last piece and the topic of this blog post: can index annuities provide stock market returns?

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