In March 2022, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the most common measure of inflation, rose at an annual rate of 8.5%, the highest level since December 1981.1 It's not surprising that a Gallup poll at the end of March found that one out of six Americans considers inflation to … [Read more...]
High Inflation: How Long Will It Last?
U.S. Savings Bonds
Many people had their first experience with saving for the future as children when they received a U.S. savings bond as a gift. Savings bonds are issued by the U.S. Treasury Department. However, unlike Treasury bills, notes, and bonds, they are not traded on the open market, and are sold almost … [Read more...]
What Do Rising Interest Rates Mean for Your Money?
On May 4, 2022, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve raised the benchmark federal funds rate 0.50%. This is part of a series of increases that the FOMC expects to carry out over the next two years to combat high inflation.1 Along with announcing the current increase, … [Read more...]
Required Distributions from IRAs – An Update
The rules for required minimum distributions (RMDs) recently changed when the SECURE Act was passed in 2019. Retirement accounts inherited after 2019 are now subject to a ‘10-year rule’ that requires the account to be emptied within 10 years of the death of the original owner, with some … [Read more...]
Falling Bond Prices
The ups and downs of the bond market aren’t typically as dramatic as stock market fluctuations. However, this isn’t always the case, as we’ve seen so far in 2022. The Federal Open Market Committee has started raising the federal funds rate and plans to continue to raise it further, which has caused … [Read more...]