Showing entries from 2020.
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Aug 2020Chart of the Month: Gold Prices Soar as Real Interest Rates Plunge into Negative Territory
Often considered a "safe-haven" investment during times of crisis, the demand for gold has soared this year, as concern grows that massive spending from global governments and central banks may ultimately lead to inflation. Will gold continue to soar?
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Aug 2020Participant Data: A Retirement Plan Asset?
Is allowing participant retirement plan data to be used for non-plan purposes a breach of fiduciary responsibility? Learn more about the ERISA ambiguity and the steps plan sponsors should be taking now to protect their organization.
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Aug 2020The REIT Response to the Pandemic
Many investors look to REITS to provide income and/or a method to hedge against risk. However, markets have experienced an alarming amount of volatility as a result of the pandemic. How have REITs fared in the face of the forced shut-downs and economic uncertainty?
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Aug 2020This Week's Market Update | August 24, 2020
Stock prices consolidated near all-time highs last week, as investors weighed the Federal Reserve’s concern over the economic recovery and Washington’s gridlock against stronger-than-expected business activity and a booming housing market. Here are some other insights on the markets and the economy …
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Aug 2020This Week's Market Moves | August 17, 2020
Stock prices ended the week largely unchanged, with the S&P 500 index up 0.7% and the tech-heavy NASDAQ up 0.1%. While equity markets pushed towards record highs, stock gains faded by week’s end, as Congress remains divided on the details of a new economic stimulus package. Here are some other insig…
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Aug 2020This Week's Market Moves | August 10, 2020
Equity prices finished the week higher as second quarter earnings came in better than expected, with the S&P 500 Index closing up 2.5%, just shy of its pre-pandemic high. Here are some other insights on the markets and the economy from this past week: Stock prices edged higher last week, despit…
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Aug 2020This Week's Market Moves | August 3, 2020
The markets were volatile last week, in the face of earnings reports and the continued global spread of the coronavirus. Below are some additional insights on the market and the economy from last week: The worst quarterly decline in economic activity, rising jobless claims, and a dovish Fed kept …
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Aug 2020Webinar - Hot Topics for Higher Education Retirement Plan Sponsors
In the first half of 2020, the global pandemic has created major challenges for colleges and universities. Learn more about the hot topics for higher education retirement plan sponsors and what they mean in terms of plan compliance in our webinar.
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Jul 2020The Pandemic’s Dividend Dilemma
What has the economic stress and state-mandated closures of the COVID-19 pandemic meant for dividends - and the retirement plan investors who rely upon them?
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Jul 2020Chart of the Month: 30-Year Mortgage Rates Hit Lowest Rate in History
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Market Observations Yields on U.S. government debt have meaningfully declined since the 1980’s, as the Federal Reserve tamed inflation. The sharp decline in rates has had a significant impact on mortgage rates, which tend to move in the same direction as…
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