wealthMD Blog

For decades the U.S. dollar has been the most dominant of the reserve currencies in the world. The liquidity and transparency of the dollar versus other world currencies have made it the primary reserve currency for foreign governments and international trading entities. Dollar supremacy has recently become more challenged as the U.S. struggles with a growing budget deficit and expanding …

Treasury bond yields stabilized in the 2nd quarter after rising earlier in the year. Short-term rates rose slightly resulting in a flattening yield curve, an indication of possible slower economic growth as the Fed considers raising rates higher. Comments by St. Louis Federal Reserve member James Bullard indicated that the Fed may start increasing rates in 2022 via buying fewer …

As home values have increased, so has the need to review insurance policies to be certain that appropriate coverage is in force. It is recommended that homeowners review their current coverage on their insurance policies in order to avoid under coverage circumstances. When reviewing homeowners insurance, there are two basic types of coverage: replacement cost and market value. Replacement cost …

Circumstances over the past year have driven prices for used and new cars higher, shifting consumer buying behavior. Supply constraint issues for critical components needed for autos and light trucks have made it extremely difficult to purchase new automobiles. As a consequence, demand and prices for used cars have also gone up, leaving many drivers to hold on to their …

Inflation pressures have been a minimal hindrance on the equity markets thus far, as many companies are passing along higher production and material costs to customers while still maintaining margins. International equity markets, including developed and emerging, are recapturing momentum lost during the pandemic, elevating returns comparable to those in the U.S. markets. Sectors leading the S&P 500 Index in …

Over the past year, global economies went from a slow expansion at the beginning of 2020, to an abrupt halt with the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Supply chain bottlenecks have become rampant as increasing demand has evolved from a slowly recovering global economy. Historically, rising producer prices have been a predecessor to consumer inflation when manufacturers and …

The United States Postal Service (USPS) remains an integral part of the economy and the country’s infrastructure even as the popularity of electronic payments and digital transactions have dramatically reduced the volume of mail processed by the USPS. Of the more than 129 billion pieces of mail delivered in 2020, the most widely used service of the USPS is its …

Home prices rose at the fastest pace since 2005, rising 12.6% nationwide over the past year. All 50 states saw a rise in home prices with Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Hampshire and Connecticut experiencing the largest appreciations. Data gathered by the Federal Housing Finance Agency collects price changes on single family home values from all 50 states and over 400 …

Growing demand for workers by eager companies to fill positions nationwide has led to unfilled job openings exceeding 8 million as of the end of March, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Labor. Economists and analysts believe that generous unemployment benefits along with stimulus payments have discouraged many of the unemployed from returning to work. …

The proliferation of vaccinations, along with pent-up demand for travel has driven Americans to finally leave home and head out. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) essentially tracks and counts every traveler passing through a TSA security checkpoint in every airport nationwide. The compiled data over the past year shows a dramatic downturn in travel in May 2020 with just over …