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The Bull Market Continues

The bull market continues, with the S&P 500 Index now up seven months in a row. Stocks have impressively gained 20% year-to-date, with the S&P 500 making 53 new all-time highs before the end of August—another new record. All of...

Six Months and Counting

Six months and counting. That is the current monthly winning streak for the S&P 500 Index. To take that a step further, this key equity benchmark has posted gains in 13 of the last 16 months—dating back to the March 2020 low....

Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed

Picking Up Speed

In the first half of 2021, the U.S. economy powered forward faster than nearly anyone had expected. Speed can be exhilarating, but it can also be dangerous. In our view, the overall economic picture remains sound and will likely...

LPL Financial and Perennial Financial Services Welcome Advisors Mike Fuller and Rob Barber

A Return to Normalcy

As we move into June, a path to normalcy is coming quickly with stadiums allowing full capacity, restaurants filling up, and summer vacations in full swing. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to recover remarkably quickly and the...

Out of the Shadows

As the calendar has turned to May, the popular “Sell in May and Go Away” stock market cliché is getting a lot of airtime. This is the idea that the stock market tends to be weakest between May and October (and...

Spring Into A Positive Outlook

“The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.” Peter Lynch They say April showers bring May flowers. Well, after a lot of showers and storms over the past year, flowers are starting to bloom and...

The Return of Normal is Approaching

It’s now been over a year since COVID-19 first hit American shores. While the pandemic has affected everyone to varying degrees, we can all agree that everyone’s life is different today than it was a year ago. It’s...

Stay the Course

“In the short-term, the market is a popularity contest. In the long-term, the market is a weighing machine.” Warren Buffett 2021 is under way, as our nation and the rest of the world look to begin to put the global pandemic behind us...

2021 Brings a Fresh Start

Happy New Year! A new year offers a welcomed turn of the calendar and a fresh start. However, it’s difficult to put 2020 completely behind us just yet because the COVID-19 pandemic still presents a significant threat. Healthcare...

Outlook 2021 - Powering Forward

More than most years, it’s hard to look ahead to the next year, to 2021, without looking back at 2020. A global pandemic, a massive economic collapse, a bear market, a surprisingly sharp reversal, a hotly contested election where...

Outlook for 2021

As 2020 comes to a close, we are already looking forward to a new year—and to a world very different from the one we’re leaving behind. Areas of the economy have been damaged and may never fully recover, but other areas...

Election 2020 Is Undecided

The American people have voted, casting a record number of ballots under extraordinary circumstances, which is a testament to the enduring resilience of our democracy. Determining the outcome of our elections is a process, but it...

Signs of Strength in the Economy

Autumn has arrived, with students back in school, baseball playoffs beginning, and football in full swing. Life is trying to get back to as normal as possible despite the ongoing impact from COVID-19. While the number of new daily...

Positive Territory

The battle versus COVID-19 continues. The spread in some of the recent hotspots like California and Florida is slowing, while states in the Northeast and Midwest are now experiencing increases in cases. According to the World Health...

Midyear Outlook 2020: The Trail to Recovery

We are at the midpoint of 2020, and it would be an understatement to say it’s been a challenging year so far in the United States and around the world. We’ve faced health, social, and economic crises that continue to impact...

Fourth of July Optimism

The July Fourth holiday will be very different this year. Although it’s a time to enjoy family and friends, and maybe even watch some fireworks, social distancing and a new wave of COVID-19 cases also may take a seat at the...

Looking Forward

As we look ahead to the summer months, we can’t help but think what a challenging year it’s been so far. At the same time, we’re encouraged by the resiliency and accelerated innovation among US businesses and the...

Better Times Are Coming

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald The economic struggles in our country are among the worst we’ve ever seen. In April, a record 20 million people lost their jobs, and 36...

Nowhere To Go But Up

Investors like labels for the economy and financial markets—many of them with the word “great” in them. The Great Depression. The Great Recession. The Great Lockdown. Well, we’ve moved into what we might call...

Celebrating 12 Years

Congratulations to our Managing Director of Insurance and Estate Planning Strategies - Dane Streeter, for his 12 years of excellence with Perennial Financial Services!

How We Respond Matters

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” — Lou Holtz, Hall of Fame football coach As the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic continues, how we respond to it will determine how we beat it....

A Unique Economic Situation

These are challenging times, and this week may be the toughest as we wait for COVID-19 to reach its peak in the United States. As the war against COVID-19 wages on, we continue to be inspired by the tremendous bravery shown by...

When It Rains Gold, Reach for A Bucket

“Every decade or so, dark clouds will fill the economic skies, and they will briefly rain gold. When downpours of that sort occur, reach for a bucket.” —Warren Buffett The battle with COVID-19 rages on, and the...

A Test of Our Resolve

The world continues its battle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which now has likely impacted, either directly or indirectly, nearly every person on Earth. This is far more than just a health crisis—this is a human crisis. Its...

We Are Here For You

Delivering the Support and the Financial Guidance You Need We know that these can be frightening times, but we want to assure you that one thing you don’t need to worry about is us supporting you through them. We are committed...

Managing Volatility and Looking for Some Green Shoots

Fears over the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) have gripped the country and sent stocks in the US and around the world into bear markets. Thursday’s nearly 10% and Monday's nearly 12% declines in the S&P 500 Index were some of...

Update on COVID-19 and Market Volatility

It’s been a tough week. The number of coronavirus cases have continued to increase globally, and new cases have been confirmed in the United States. Countries are making progress with containment, but those efforts also have...

Celebrating 13 Years

Congratulations to our Managing Director of Retirement Planning - Brad B. Harris, AIF®, for his 13 years of excellence with Perennial Financial Services!

Outlook 2020 - Bringing Markets Into Focus

Hindsight is 20/20, but finding clarity in future uncertainty can be fuzzy. AT LPL RESEARCH, as we look forward to the year 2020 and a new decade, some key trends and market signals will be important to watch, including progress on U.S...

Celebrating 15 Years

July 2, 2004 was a Friday, under the sign of Cancer. The US president was George W. Bush. In that special week of July people in the US were listening to Burn by Usher. The Bourne Supremacy, directed by Paul Greengrass, was one of the...

Street View: Midyear Outlook 2019

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Trade Tensions Causing Volatility

Trade tensions have interrupted an unusually calm year in U.S. stocks. In May, the S&P 500 Index fell from an April 30 record high as the United States and China failed to reach a trade deal and escalated tariff tensions. The United...

LPL Research - Outlook 2019: The Video

Five Takeaways on October’s Rough Ride

October has been a rough month for equities, but then again it’s historically been one of the most volatile periods of the year. “October is known for volatility, and we’ve sure seen it so far,” explained Senior...

Volatility Has Returned

The volatility that is often associated with the month of October has arrived with the market sell-off on Wednesday, October 10. Experiencing market declines and increased volatility can be unnerving for any investor, but if we can...

2018 Outlook - Return of the Business Cycle

Where are we in the current economic cycle? Why may fiscal support and better business fundamentals be key themes in 2018? Hear from LPL Financial's Chief Investment Officer Burt White and Chief Investment Strategist John Lynch in LPL...

Midyear Outlook 2016: A Vote of Confidence

At the midyear point of 2016, LPL Research proposes a vote of confidence: in the economy, the market, and most importantly, in our ability as investors to remain focused on our long-term goals. This is not always easy. We may be...

The Fed Finally Raises Rates

The events of today bring one word to mind: finally. Earlier today, the Federal Reserve (Fed) finally raised the target for the federal funds rate by 0.25%. By raising this key overnight borrowing rate, the Fed raised interest rates...

Update on Recent Market Volatility

August brings with it the end of summer, but in recent years, bouts of stock market volatility have been common. It is quite normal for stock prices to decline at some point almost every year. In 30 of the 34 calendar...

Is America Prepared to Retire?

Only 48% of Americans say they think they are saving enough. And 30% feel that they are not even slightly confident that they are saving enough for retirement. That finding comes from the 2015 Consumer Financial...

Midyear Outlook 2015: Some Assembly Required

The New Gradual Retirement

Do we really want to retire at 65? Not according to the latest annual retirement survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies which gauges the outlook of American workers. It found that 51% of us plan to...

Is It Time for Life Insurance?

Many younger Americans lack life insurance. A 2014 report from insurance industry analyst LIMRA found that only a third of Gen Y Americans have any life insurance coverage. In the same survey of 6,000 respondents, six in...

How Can Women Save More for Retirement?

Numerous articles have mentioned the obstacles women can face as they save for retirement. Turning from the negative, here are some positive factors that may help women save more...

Are Women Reluctant to Talk About Money?

A new study asserts that women feel uncomfortable discussing financial matters. The latest Money FIT Study from Fidelity Investments is generating some conversation within the financial industry. The investment giant...

Are You Underprepared for Retirement?

Financially speaking, how many Americans are truly on track to retire? A recently published white paper suggests that about half of us are approaching our “third acts” with faulty assumptions. Perception differs...

Term vs. Permanent Life Insurance

Thirty-nine percent of American households have no life insurance at all, according to LIMRA, which keeps close tabs on the life insurance industry.In the same survey, half of all American households...

Your Emergency Fund: How Much Is Enough?

Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you’re driving to work,...

LPL Financial Research - Mid-Year Outlook 2014 - At A Glance

Merging Your Money When You Marry

Getting married is exciting, but it brings many challenges. One such challenge that you and your spouse will have to face is how to merge your finances. Planning carefully and communicating clearly are important,...

As Easy as a Game of Darts

We are over one decade into the twenty first century and what do we have to show for it? From an investment perspective: next to nothing. The perennial money makers -- stocks and real estate –...

Maximizing the Value of Your Business During Difficult Economic Times

This year has continued to challenge many business owners as they wade through these challenging economic times. By looking beyond the current difficult environment many business owners can prosper by planning for the...

Thank Uncle Fester: The Origin of "Coogan Accounts"

As a new contributor to this unique magazine I want to offer a heartfelt thanks to our wonderful publisher Suzanne Takowsky for the opportunity. I look forward to offering insightful and timely articles dealing with...