Weekly Market Insights 02.10.25

Confusion Financial Markets All the major equity market indices lost ground last week.  Two driving factors were economic releases and tariffs.  On Friday, we received another strong employment report, giving Federal Reserve officials more reason to hold off on further rate cuts. Regarding the second factor, the President announced 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada…

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Advance Health Care Directives: Living Wills and Health Care Proxies

Advance Health Care Directives are legal documents that describe the extent of medical treatment you want to receive should you become unconscious or too ill to communicate. The name “Advance Directives” refers to the fact that you are setting out instructions in advance of a time when you might need someone to carry out your…

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Weekly Market Insights 02.03.25

A Good January for Investors Financial Markets Although it had the potential to end badly, most financial markets around the globe finished with gains for the first month of 2025.  It was certainly an eventful final stretch, with DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough and the news of higher-than-expected tariffs against China, Canada, and Mexico—an interesting mix of…

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Weekly Market Insights 01.27.25

Into the Unknown! Financial Markets In a remarkable atmosphere of relief, investors greeted equity markets with surprising enthusiasm, pushing the S&P 500 to new record highs.  Last week’s economic releases were fine, and corporate earnings reports have been solid.  Perhaps the most encouraging news for markets was the benign tariff commentary from the White House…

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The Importance of Having a Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to choose someone to act on your behalf as to legal and financial matters in the event you are unavailable or are incapable of doing so yourself. In this article, we explore the significance of a durable power of attorney by addressing key…

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Basic Estate Planning Documents Everyone Should Have

When working with a trusts and estates lawyer to create a new estate plan, a client should end up with the following documents: Durable Power of Attorney Health Care Proxy (also known as a Health Care Power of Attorney) Living Will Will Revocable Trust (in some cases) In this introductory article, we will provide a…

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Weekly Market Insights 01.13.25

A Change of Mood Financial Markets United States equity markets had a difficult week, driven by stronger-than-expected economic data.  Interestingly, under different circumstances, markets may have rallied.  However, in the current state of the world, financial markets are dominated by inflation concerns and Federal Reserve decisions.  Market participants analyze every new piece of information through…

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Investment Review & Outlook – January 2025

Key Takeaways The consumer-driven US economy has remained resilient, despite inflation above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%, driven by low unemployment, modest wage growth, and an uptick in consumer confidence during much of 2024. Attention now turns to the economic impact of the incoming Trump administration, key priorities being higher tariffs, lower taxes, and…

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Weekly Market Insights 01.06.24

Ending With Concern, But Opening With A Smile Financial Markets United States equity markets ended 2024 on a down note but rebounded to close out the first week of the year, closing only slightly in the red. As of market close Friday, 1/3/2025, Factset Looking back on 2024, it was quite a remarkable year.  In…

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Weekly Market Insights 12.30.24

A New Beginning Financial Markets This past week was a disappointing one for equity markets. The major market indices opened the week on a strong note but faltered as the week went on. It will be interesting to see what the last trading week of the year brings. Looking at equity returns for 2024, readers…

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