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Nov 2020Chart of the Month: The Top 5 Stocks Ruled the S&P 500 Index Until September
The recovery of the S&P 500 Index, since hitting a low in mid-March, has been driven almost exclusively by the performance of five stocks - Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. However, as of September, a notable rotation has occurred. What will the future hold?
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Nov 2020This Week's Market Moves: November 23, 2020
U.S. stocks ended the week mixed, as investors weighed rising coronavirus cases against progress on the vaccine front. Here are some other insights on the markets and the economy from last week: U.S. stocks hovered near record highs as investors balanced concerns over the near-term economic fallo…
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Nov 2020This Week's Market Moves | November 16, 2020
The S&P 500 Index climbed to a record high amid positive developments on the vaccine front. Optimism that a vaccine could accelerate the recovery led to a rotation out of stay-at-home stocks into more cyclical plays. Here are some other insights on the markets and the economy from last week: …
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Nov 2020This Week's Market Moves | November 9, 2020
U.S. stocks soared last week, with the major indices rising back within striking distance to their all-time highs. Election uncertainty did not seem to faze the markets as predicted, with the Dow Jones climbing 6.9%, the S&P 500 Index rising 7.4% and the tech-heavy NASDAQ soaring 9.0%. Here are some…
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Nov 2020This Week's Market Moves | November 2, 2020
U.S. stocks suffered their biggest weekly rout since March, with the S&P 500 Index declining 5.6%, the Dow Jones off 6.5% and the NASDAQ down 5.5% this past week. Concerns about growth resurfaced as coronavirus cases surged across the U.S. and Europe, and the timing of another stimulus package remai…
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Oct 2020Presidential Elections: The Impact on Retirement Plan Investors
Every four years, politics and finance overlap as Americans head to the polls. With the 2020 election less than a week away, many investors are wondering what impact the results may have on their holdings. Can history provide guidance as to how the market has performed during past election cycles?
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Oct 2020Chart of the Month: How U.S. Stocks Fared in Past Election Cycles
Sources: S&P Global; The National Bureau of Economic Research Market Observations Investors should prepare for rising market volatility as election day approaches. While polls have shifted from the expectation of the contested election to the speculation of a Democratic sweep, the outcome may no…
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Oct 2020Communicating Retirement Plan Changes During COVID-19
As the pandemic swept across the country, plan sponsors were forced to find new ways to effectively communicate retirement plan changes in an unprecedented virtual world. While this provided challenges, it was also met with some unexpected benefits.
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Oct 2020Finding Income in a Lower-for-Longer Interest Rate Environment
While the Fed's announcement that interest rates will remain low is welcome news to the healing economy and borrowers, it poses a significant issue for income-focused investors. What do retirement plan participants need to know and how can those nearing retirement find the income they need?
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Oct 2020Compliance Alert: IRS Announces Retirement Plan Limits for 2021
On October 26, 2020, the IRS announced the new 2021 retirement plan limits. Most limits remain unchanged, including the 402(g) elective deferral limit. The Social Security Administration (SSA) also announced that the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) wil…
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