Kaizen Capsules

After initially signing up for Medicare, there are two times each year that you can make changes to Medicare coverage for Parts C and D:

I thought you may find this wealth calculator interesting. It is part of a New York Times series Are You Rich?, and ranks both your income and your wealth based on data collected by the US Census Bureau^1,2.

The growth of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has been explosive. In 1998, there were only 29; at the end of 2018, there were over 1,900 investing in a wide range of stocks, bonds, and other securities and instruments.¹

IN THIS MONTH’S RECAP:

• Stocks lose ground as trade tensions continue and the Chinese yuan is devalued
• Consumer confidence remains high easing some economic slowdown fears
• Bonds rally, causing yields to fall

THE MONTH IN BRIEF

THINKING ABOUT LEAVING WORK A LITTLE EARLY?

According to Giving USA 2018, Americans gave an estimated $410.02 billion to charity in 2017. That’s the first time that the amount has totaled more than $400 billion in the history of the report.¹

If you follow national news, you may have heard of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. Although the SECURE Act has yet to clear the Senate, it saw broad, bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.

During the past week, stock prices dropped sharply on fears the trade dispute between the U.S. and China had escalated.

IN THIS QUARTER’S RECAP:

IN THIS MONTH’S RECAP:

• Equity markets hit all-time highs while treasury yields continue to drop
• US announces a pause on additional near-term tariff increases
• The Fed signals a willingness to lower interest rates as economy shows signs of slower growth ahead