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Steve Coker, CFP
Jan 34 min read
2025 Outlook
Forecasting is always a dangerous business. Look at 2023 and 2024, when many economists were predicting a major recession and stock...
Steve Coker, CFP
Dec 7, 20243 min read
Trump 2.0: Bearish or Bullish?
Thus far the market has hardily approved of President Trump 2.0. The S&P 500 sat at 5712 on November 4th, just before the election. One...
Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 18, 20243 min read
Consumers are in a bad mood
The stock market is setting record highs, the economy is showing surprising strength, unemployment is low, and yet US consumer sentiment...
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 20, 20242 min read
The Fed Starts Lowering Rates
For the last two years the Federal Reserve has been on a cycle of raising the federal funds rate, also known as tightening fiscal policy,...
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 13, 20244 min read
Think you may be laid-off from your job? Here are 9 things you should do now to prepare financially
Once again we have been hearing from our clients about corporate “reorganizations”. Facing a “reduction in force” in corporate America...
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 9, 20242 min read
What is bothering the stock market?
Market volatility has increased over the past 3 weeks as the S&P 500 fell from a high of 5647 on July 16th to a low of 5189, a drop of...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jul 26, 20243 min read
Does the National Debt Matter?
As of this writing, according to US Debt Clock (usdebtclock.org) the US National Debt has ballooned to $34 Trillion dollars, equal to...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jul 19, 20241 min read
Market Rotation
June's consumer price index, released on July 11th, showed a surprising drop in inflation levels to 3%, down from the previous month’s...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jun 28, 20241 min read
Inflation Update
We have said for many months now that inflation is the most important economic factor to watch in 2024. This week we had good news on the...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jun 7, 20242 min read
Home Price Update
The rise in home prices over the past decade has been spectacular, proving a boon to those already owning homes, but a hurdle for first...
Steve Coker, CFP
Apr 19, 20242 min read
Risk Realized
So far, April has not been good for the stock market, which is now down almost 6% from its high at the end of March. The most significant...
Steve Coker, CFP
Apr 5, 20241 min read
The Consumer Powerhouse
As anyone who has visited a mall or store recently can attest, Americans continue to shop. In fact, in large part, American consumers...
Steve Coker, CFP
Mar 8, 20242 min read
On Elephants and Donkeys
During my 20 years of professional investing experience, I have learned that political considerations rarely matter as much as the papers...
Steve Coker, CFP
Mar 1, 20241 min read
Inflation under 3%
This week the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, the PCED or Personal Consumption Expenditures Deflator, fell below 3% for...
Steve Coker, CFP
Feb 2, 20242 min read
China’s “Lehman” Moment
China Evergrande Group, once China’s largest real estate developer, was ordered into liquidation by a Hong Kong judge this week, igniting...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jan 27, 20242 min read
A Presidential Election Year
It is a Presidential election year and once again we are fielding many questions about the impact elections will have on the market. If...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jan 13, 20241 min read
2024 Outlook
A new year has started but the same debate that dominated 2023 still rages. Will inflation reach the Federal Reserve’s 2% target without...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jan 6, 20242 min read
2023 A Year in Review
What a difference a year makes! As we began 2023 we featured some of the common doomsday predictions that we found in the media:...
Steve Coker, CFP
Dec 16, 20232 min read
Santa Claus Rally
It is only the middle of December, but the Santa Claus rally is topping off what has been a very good year in stock and bond markets. ...
Steve Coker, CFP
Nov 4, 20232 min read
Relief
War in Europe and the middle east, rising oil prices, inflation, rising interest rates, political polarization…there is plenty to worry...
