As the summer heats up unseasonably early this year, the Federal Reserve has stepped up its efforts to cool down inflation by raising the Fed Funds rate another 75 basis points on Wednesday, June 15^th. The stock market (as measured by the S&P 500 Index), which entered bear market territory at the start of this week, at first reacted positively, but then sold off again on Thursday as investors are concerned about the risks surrounding economic growth… or slowing thereof. Read More

With the S&P 500 down 20% from recent highs, we have officially passed into Bear Market territory. In the video below, Todd Brand shares some color and historical context for the volatility seen in the equity markets. As always, we invite you to connect with your team if you’d like to discuss the markets, your… Read More

Have you glanced at world markets in the last few months? It can be hard to avoid, particularly with daily headlines touting the volatility on any given day. Let’s take a look at a few definitions that will help give some context to what we’re seeing and how to respond. Read More

By Kevin York, CFP® Henry Shaw. If you’re not particularly interested in botany, that name might not mean very much to you. But for myself and many other St. Louisans, Shaw’s legacy is deeply significant and dearly treasured. Generosity, excellence, and tranquility are just a few of words that come to mind when I think… Read More

The month of April proved to be a particularly stormy continuation of market volatility, bringing with it negative returns in both the stock and bond markets all around the world. In the United States, the S&P 500 declined over 8.7% and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index was down almost 3.8%, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ 100 Index was down over 13.3%, its worst single month since October 2008. Read More