COVID Outlook: Economy, Finances, Health
Overview Compared to 2008, the current pandemic-induced recession is three times worse in terms of annualized gross domestic product (GDP) decline. Economists have urged Congress to pass additional stimulus legislation for unemployment benefits, forgivable loans to small businesses, aid to the travel industry and allocated funds to save local government jobs in the wake of […]
The Future of Retirement Planning
Fresno Retirement Advisor News As of the end of July, the stock market was still performing relatively well and the Federal Reserve had announced no near-term changes to interest rates.1 However, other economic news was not as rosy. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. economy contracted by nearly a third (32.9% annual rate) […]
Is it Time to Go Global?
Fresno Financial Consultant News Competitive edge is a real factor. Here in the U.S., we boast that capitalism is the key to our success. Unfortunately, that key has gotten a little rusty lately thanks to the rampant spread of COVID-19 throughout the country. Some areas have locked down or experienced slowed economic growth because of […]
Home Health: Has the Time Come?
Fresno Retirement Consultant News The health care industry has been trying to contain expenses through technology offering medical services to people at home. Some insurance plans offer a 24-hour nurse line, allowing you to call a nurse for advice in the middle of the night about a child’s high fever rather than rush to the […]
The High Price of Health Care in America
Fresno Financial Advisor News If the U.S. health-care sector was a separate country, it would be the fourth largest economy in the world when measured by gross domestic product. Currently, the nation spends an average of $3.5 trillion annually on health care, more than Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the […]
How Are Medicare, Long-Term Care, Medicaid and Medi-Cal Different?
How does Medicare, long-term care, Medicaid, and Medi-Cal work? Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care. Long-term care insurance might not pay enough. Medicaid is Medi-Cal in California. And Medi-Cal may even pay for in-home, or facility care if long-term care insurance isn’t enough. Have more confidence about long-term care options with a complimentary 15-minute visit […]
The Highs and Lows of Dollar-Cost Averaging
Fresno Retirement Advisor News Investors who defer the same amount of money from their paycheck into a 401(k) plan at regular intervals are practicing dollar-cost averaging. By investing the same fixed dollar amount each time, the investor buys more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when prices rise.1 The long-term effect is that the […]
What Might Be Next — Inflation or Deflation?
Fresno Financial Consultant News Consumer prices fell by 0.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis in April, the biggest drop in more than a dozen years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Conversely, prices for grocery items jumped 2.6%, the highest one-month increase in 46 years, with eggs rising by 16%.1 What’s going on here? Well, […]
How to Deal With Financial Stress
Fresno Financial Consultant News A recent survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that almost 90% of Americans were feeling anxious about their money situation.1 39% were worried about job security 48% worried about paying bills 28% didn’t know if they could pay their utilities 41% were worried about not having enough emergency […]
College Disrupted
Fresno Financial Consultant News Colleges all over the country have introduced incoming freshmen to orientation online, an entirely different experience. The online format offers several advantages in that more information can be presented and web pages bookmarked for future reference. This may be preferable to the barrage of information students normally receive during a seemingly […]