The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill signed into law by President Biden in December included provisions dubbed “SECURE Act 2.0.” This law’s language builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act passed in 2019. Through more than 90 provisions, SECURE Act 2.0 presents some significant, welcome changes for retirement planning. Here … Continued
It was an exciting March for college basketball fans, with the annual national tournaments offering no shortage of surprises and great games. It was also an eventful month for markets, with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in just a matter of days, setting off market volatility and an urgent government response. … Continued
Up until very recently, women were not able to invest on their own. In fact, most financial and property matters required the signature of a husband or male relative well into the 20th century. Despite these obstacles, women have long had a keen interest in growing and securing assets for themselves, their communities and their … Continued
In January 2023, the United States added an astounding 517,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.4% — the lowest level since 1969, before the first moon landing. Measures such as GDP growth, retail sales and the ISM services survey all currently point toward healthy consumer spending and a growing economy. While low unemployment, … Continued
Faith- and values-based investors are called on to play a unique role in corporate shareholder advocacy. In a recent webinar, representatives from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and New Covenant Trust Company (NCTC) discussed how they are partnering to help both institutions and individuals make investments that are consistent with their values, as well as push … Continued
It’s been said that any recession taking place in 2023 may be the most expected and anticipated recession in history. The Federal Reserve, forced to hike interest rates at the fastest pace on record in 2022, is setting out to slow down and cool off the economy by design, in order to fight inflation. It’s … Continued
You’re invited to join us January 31 for a free webinar. What has God called us to do with all that is entrusted to us? God calls us to be good stewards, and that means making investments that are consistent with our values as well as pushing corporations to be better global citizens. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) does both. … Continued
Markets continued their rally from recent lows through October and November but have struggled as we end the year so far through December. Many of the key drivers remain the same, with decades-high inflation forcing the Federal Reserve and central banks around the world to raise interest rates and tighten monetary conditions at a historic … Continued
This time of year is often called the Season of Giving, and not just because of the lovingly wrapped presents we give to family and friends at Christmas. In fact, 37% of all charitable giving occurs in the fourth quarter, with December accounting for over 20% of total donations for the year. Economic and demographic … Continued
The S&P 500 saw a healthy rally in October, and at the time of this writing, has continued a strong rebound off of September lows. A main catalyst for this has been a surprise slower-than-expected inflation report for October that drove the S&P 500 up +5% in a single day after it was released. Inflation, … Continued