The $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law before the end of 2022 included dozens of retirement-related provisions collectively known as the SECURE 2.0 Act. (The acronym stands for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement.) The SECURE 2.0 legislation provides a slate of changes that could help Read more
Bowen Reports
Wait and See: Quarterly Economic Report
The year is coming to an end in an atmosphere of anticipation. Will inflation slow? Will the labor market decline further? Will there be a recession? What will the Fed do? High inflation, rising interest rates, and recession fears have made for a rough financial ride in 2022, with falling stock and bond prices pummeling portfolios Read more
Bubble or Balloon? A Housing Market Update
In January 2022, the housing market was at the hottest it had been in 15 years, with a run of new demand spurred by the loosening of pandemic restrictions. As remote work opportunities became more common, some buyers were looking for more space to work from home and found opportunities to move farther from their Read more
Hide and Seek: Loved Ones’ Assets May Not Be in Plain Sight
After a loved one passes away, it may fall to you to find and collect their assets. Not just those in obvious places, such as bank accounts, insurance policies, and property (i.e., cars and houses). In addition to selling the property, it’s a good idea to search it thoroughly first for any valuables hidden by Read more
The Strong Dollar: Good for U.S., Dangerous for Global Economy
While other currencies are declining, the U.S. dollar is on a roll. An index of the dollar versus major currencies is trading around a two-decade high. The nominal effective exchange rate of the U.S. dollar appreciated by 12 percent between December 31, 2021, and September 26, 2022, according to JPMorgan estimates. During the same period, Read more
Two Sides to the Coin: Gross Domestic Product and Gross Domestic Income Disagree on the Economy
News about the economy usually highlights Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measurement familiar to even the most casual follower of economic news. Most of us know that one of the traditional benchmarks for a recession is two straight quarters of negative GDP. The latest GDP estimate says the economy contracted the equivalent of 0.6% per Read more