It has been almost five weeks since my last blog as I was on a 4,317-mile camping trip with my 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old niece. I have thankfully returned safely and sanely. The anticipation and nervous energy of preparing for a 3.5-week camping trip culminates in the day of departure. We then spend a day…
The official start of summer is June 21, but I think most of us would agree [particularly those that live in Wisconsin] that the weather has certainly produced summer-like conditions for the past couple of weeks, and many of us are simply loving it! When I see or hear the words, “it’s summer” I get…
It appears that the President and Congress have arrived at an agreement on raising our country’s debt limit and small spending reductions for the next two years. Pop the champagne! Celebrate this glorious achievement in our country’s history! At least this fleeting victory will temporarily distract us from the long-term fiscal nightmare that lies ahead.…
The commonly accepted narrative about the rest of 2023 is that there is very little to be optimistic about. First, we have to get over a debt limit debacle that should resolve itself to some degree within the next week or so. Then, we have to make sure the banking challenges we have seen stay…
Things can change quickly. Yesterday afternoon was beautiful, sunny, and warm. It almost felt like summer. It was a great day for mowing the lawn, maybe planting some flowers, and catching some delightful rays of sunshine. Appropriate outside attire included shorts and a T-shirt. Just a single hour later it was cold, windy, and felt…
Today we likely reach the end which, naturally, is a new beginning. Unless we see rising inflation or falling unemployment over the next few months, today is likely the Federal Reserve’s last increase in its overnight bank lending rate during this economic cycle. It has been a very rapid ascent. After holding their interest rate…
Despite the weather pretending it is March, this week Friday is actually the end of April for the financial markets. We will have completed one-third of 2023 at that point and will be heading into May. May’s reputation precedes itself because The Stock Trader’s Almanac popularized the phrase “Sell in May.” The almanac found that,…
This Week’s Blogger: Scott D. Heins, CFP®, Chief Investment Officer If you were fortunate enough to go to American Family Field on Monday for the Brewers’ home opening romp over the New York Mets, you likely witnessed some unacceptable behavior at some point during the game. I guess that is part of many people’s opening…
This Week’s Blogger: Scott D. Heins, CFP®, IAG Chief Investment Officer The last few weeks have been filled with headlines about unintended consequences. Reacting to a global pandemic and government-mandated economic shutdowns, Congress and the Federal Reserve unleashed a torrent of money into the economy. The Federal Reserve took interest rates to 0%…
This Week’s Blogger: Scott D. Heins, CFP®, IAG Chief Investment Officer Americans’ lives changed three years ago on March 15, 2020. On that date numerous states began systematically shutting down anything that served as a gathering place for people to interact. Sincere social distancing was born. Here we are three years later, and…