THROUGH THE END OF MAY – The S&P 500 is down 5.0% YTD (total return) through 5/29/20. Just 121 stocks in the index are up YTD. The S&P 500 consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. It is a market value weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate…
Category: coronavirus
Lost Your Health Insurance? Check out Affordable Care Act Coverage
As unemployment continues to skyrocket due to COVID-19, a new analysis shows that more than 20 million people losing job-based insurance could get a tax credit on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges. But nearly 6 million people will not be eligible for such credits and must pay the full cost of coverage, according to…
Got a will? Here are 11 more end-of-life documents you may need
“Anyone remember the death rate in the United States? It’s… one per person. Nobody is getting out of here alive. We never know when death will happen, just that it will,” Amy Florian explained to a group of financial professionals. In these days of coronavirus, the need for detailed instructions for your financial and digital…
What to do if you lose your health iinsurance?
Too Many Americans are losing their health insurance along with their jobs. One of the many perils of our peculiar method of providing most health insurance (note that insurance is different from health care). Virtually all industrialized nations provide some form of health care to their citizens. The US stands alone. Medicaid may be your…
How to survive a bear market
“Investors can survive a bear market the same way hikers survive an encounter with a bear: Remain calm and don’t make sudden moves” as Wall Street Journal writer Jason Zweig advised on April 4-5, 2020. See: Staying safe around bears: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm Consider your entire portfolio, including your human capital and Social Security benefits.as Zweig explains:…
Coronavirus: How to help and why it’s good for you
Writing for The Wall Street Journal (4/17/20) Michelle Ma writes: “When you’re down, help others.”“Psychologists and stress researchers have long understood the mental and emotional benefits of doing good.”Research by Dr. Emily Ansell demonstrated that “performing compassionate acts, even small ones, can help mitigate the negative effects of stress on an individual’s mood and mental…
Worried retirement savers and retirees should consider annuities
Expert: Worried retirement savers should buy annuities People planning to retire this year should buy an annuity to guarantee future income now because annuity payouts that have been falling because of declining interest rates could fall further, says retirement income expert Wade Pfau “The simple income annuity can fit in for anyone who’s panicking about…
Why is US stock market doing OK while the economy is tanking?
Investors flock to US equities Investors worldwide are looking past economic data and coronavirus statistics to seek haven in US equities. Emerging-market equities are the cheapest against the S&P 500 in 12 years, while the MSCI USA Index is near a 20-year high against the rest of the world. Full Story: Bloomberg (tiered subscription model)…
Resources for Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Faculty members and graduate students in the University of Maryland Department of Family Sciencehave created several resource guides for families and children in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These guides aim to support parents who may be struggling with how to communicate to their children in anage-appropriate way about this unprecedented global pandemic. Resource…
Free "Your Money" newsletter from The New York Times
Your Money: Every week, get tips on retirement, paying for college, credit cards and the right way to invest. Trustworthy answers to all your financial questions in the time of coronavirus. See sample: https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/MY_sample.html F.A.Q. on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment and the Coronavirus Plan ‘This Isn’t a Dry Run’: How to Be Ready for More Financial…