Market conditions continue to present significant challenges as a sudden trend reversal two weeks ago has upended markets around the globe. While we continue to hold significant amounts of cash and money market assets in our risk-managed strategies, our limited purchase of some targeted assets in both stocks and bonds earlier in the month [...]
Our hearts go out to the innocent victims of Russia’s ill-fated invasion of sovereign Ukraine, and of course matters of economics and investment take a back seat to the human suffering occurring in the heart of Europe. That being said, Appleton Group’s risk-managed strategies continue to be positioned quite defensively, and while the [...]
Rarely is anything more clear that what's been fueling the market recovery over the past 8 years: low interest rates. It's been good for most investment classes, including the stock market, real estate market and the bond market. In fact, all three of these major asset classes have been rising in concert since the extraordinary [...]
The markets are demonstrating significant turbulence to start 2016, led lower by overseas markets and a continued rout in commodity prices. Concerns over economic growth, the future of Fed stimulus, currency devaluations by China, as well as geopolitical concerns have all contributed to market weakness. It's been a perfect storm to start the New Year. [...]
The proposed Federal budget deal making its way through Congress this week lays out one significant change to Social Security: the elimination of "file & suspend" strategies. Under file & suspend, a spouse could file for social security retirement benefits, but then "suspend" those payments until a later date (allowing their future benefit amounts to [...]
Last Friday's jobs report was exactly what the markets needed: evidence that the Fed is unlikely to raise rates this year. With job creation slowing, there's little reason to believe that wage growth is going to take off anytime soon. And so with little threat of inflation, rates can stay low for a while longer. [...]
While the U.S. markets were closed for the Labor Day Holiday, China's central bank was once again busy. In an effort to support Chinese stock prices that have plummeted over the past few months, the People's Bank of China once again implemented a sizable stock-buying program, reversing intraday losses of -2.0% and finishing the session [...]
