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Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 6, 20233 min read
Why Are Interest Rates Skyrocketing?
During the month of September interest rates not only continued their march upward, they skyrocketed higher, spooking the stock market...
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 22, 20232 min read
The Fed Spooks the Market
I think that I’ve seen this movie before! Like part VII of a repetitive movie series (I’m looking at you Avengers), the Federal Reserve...
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 15, 20234 min read
Downsizing your house in retirement
Downsizing your house in retirement can make a lot of sense, especially when you are looking for ways to make your retirement dollars go...
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 4, 20233 min read
What could possibly go wrong?
Let’s face it – the stock market is having a great year. Despite considerable doom and gloom as we began 2023, the S&P 500 is up more...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jul 21, 20233 min read
FedNow: what it is and what it is not.
The Federal Reserve launched its new FedNow service on July 20th, a surprise early launch to this new program which allows individuals...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jul 14, 20232 min read
Inflation Good News
Admittedly, it is difficult to write both “inflation” and “good news” in the same sentence. Inflation is not a good thing, but falling...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jun 16, 20232 min read
Fed takes a pause but threatens more hikes
The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee voted this week to hold the Fed Funds rate unchanged at the current 5.0%-5.25% range. The...
Steve Coker, CFP
May 12, 20232 min read
The U.S. Government ‘X’ Date
The U.S. reached its debt limit in January and Congress and President Biden remain at an impasse over raising it. Without the ability to...
Steve Coker, CFP
Apr 15, 20233 min read
Is Social Security Insolvent?
The Social Security Board of Trustees issued their annual report last month, announcing that in 2033 the Social Security system will be...
Steve Coker, CFP
Mar 18, 20233 min read
Cracks in the Banking System
There is a crisis brewing in the US banking system, but this new crisis is very different from 2008. Historically, banks struggled or...
Steve Coker, CFP
Feb 24, 20233 min read
Housing Prices: An Update
During 2022 the sale of single-family homes plummeted as mortgage rates rose above 7%. The rapid spike in interest rates, on the heels of...
Steve Coker, CFP
Feb 17, 20232 min read
The Economy Is Still Too Strong
Stocks stalled this week after several economic indicators showed a strong economy. Payrolls increased, the average workweek rose, and...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jan 6, 20233 min read
2023 Outlook
I admit that I read very little mainline news, including business news. I decided long ago that most business news (Bloomberg, Forbes,...
Steve Coker, CFP
Dec 30, 20222 min read
2022 A Year in Review
Many investors are happy to see 2022 end! After a roaring 2021 driven by easy money and high levels of stimulus, the proverbial chickens...
Steve Coker, CFP
Dec 9, 20222 min read
Too Hot or Too Cold?
The stock market had a tough week as investors vacillated between worries that the economy is too hot, which would lead to more...
Steve Coker, CFP
Nov 12, 20221 min read
Inflation Relief
Stocks and bonds both rallied this week after Thursday’s release of the October Consumer Price Index, which was better than expected at...
Steve Coker, CFP
Nov 4, 20222 min read
The Almighty Dollar
It seems a constant barrage, “the US Dollar is in decline”, “the dollar’s days are numbered” and a host of similar headlines predicting...
Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 21, 20222 min read
The Housing Recession Deepens
Mortgage rates are still rising, reaching 7% this month from around 3% less than 12 months ago. As a result, mortgage applications for...
Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 14, 20222 min read
How High Will Interest Rates Go?
Both the PPI (Producer Price Index) and the CPI (Consumer Price Index) were higher than expected this week, showing that inflation is...
Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 7, 20221 min read
Bad is Good and Good is Bad
The S&P 500 gained a modest 1.5% this week, giving back by Friday almost all of the 6% two-day gain from Monday and Tuesday. The market...
