A blog by Richard Rausser, CPC, QPA, QKA, Senior Vice President- June 23, 2015 In this second of three posts discussing Pentegra’s latest survey conducted by Harris Poll, I will look at the surprising lack of knowledge that a majority of respondents have when it…
…target, but the longer term fear is that Federal deficits, an eventual economic recovery or supply chain issues (such as higher food prices from shortages) could cause the Fed to pull back their support for fear of exceeding its inflation target. For example, when the…
…has led to major Federal Reserve (“Fed”) rate cuts and a flight to safety into Treasuries, gold and cash until the virus is believed to be contained. Federal Reserve rate cuts have been accelerated: On March 3rd, the Fed cut its target rate by 50…
…moderated, as year-over-year home sales were flat to slightly positive, while year-over-year home price increases slowed to less than a 6% growth rate. The Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), in September, raised the federal funds rate target by 25 basis points to a range of 2.00%…
…a cyclical low. The housing market was mixed, as year to date home sales declined while year-over-year prices were up more than 6%. The Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), in March, raised the federal funds rate target by 25 basis points to a range of 1.50%…
…led to concerns that since the banks are not currently lending these funds to businesses, that once these once these funds are released, this will cause inflation. Another potential risk from the Fed’s balance sheet is a rise in interest rates creating losses in the…
…of expected rate increases for this year from four to two. (recall that the FOMC’s much anticipated interest rate “lift off” began in December of last year as it increased the fed funds rate target by 25 basis points to a range of 0.25% to…
…in considering them as part of your overall investment strategy. What is a bond fund and how does it work? Bond funds invest in bonds and other interest-earning securities issued by governments and corporations. Bonds are sold to raise money—to build factories or bridges or…
…(IRAs) in 2016.” The GAO noted that, when account owners do not claim money from retirement savings accounts or cash checks from their plans, the funds may be transferred to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property offices; assets and uncashed checks from employer-sponsored retirement plans like…
…their boom as an investment option? While ETF assets remain a relatively small fraction of total passive index funds plus actively managed funds, there has been an explosion in ETFs. The 1,716 ETFs at year-end 2016 are more than double the number at the end…
…you will almost always shortchange the HCEs and they will leave money on the table that could have been in the plan. Also keep in mind how refunds work these days. All refunds are taxable in the year in which they are received. For example,…
…levels of long-term business investment and job growth. Some of these pension-related savings do complement other forms of personal savings that would otherwise be done by households and individuals. These alternative savings would include 401(k) plans, IRAs, taxable mutual funds and savings accounts. Even accounting…