The price of gold increased by nearly 65% in 2025, far outpacing the 17% gain in the S&P 500 stock index over the same period. In January 2026, gold surpassed $5,000 an ounce for the first time. In 2025, the precious metal outperformed most other risk assets, including stocks and cryptocurrencies. The gold price over Read more
Bowen Reports
Still Time to Catch Up on Savings
If you are nearing retirement and have fallen short of your savings goal, it is not too late to play catch-up with your finances. The federal government allows people to make additional contributions in their later years. A 2020 survey by Vanguard found that 98% of employers offer catch-up contributions on their 401(k) plans but Read more
What is a Discharge Petition?
The Speaker of the House, currently Mike Johnson (R., Louisiana), is one of the most powerful elected positions in the federal government, the only position in Congress named in the Constitution, the second in line to the presidency after the vice president, and the point person for the legislative branch’s fundamental role in originating and Read more
How Dividend Investing Works
When it comes to investment returns, some investors may only look at the impact of rising stock prices on their portfolios. However, consideration of dividends should also play an important role. Dividends have produced about 40% of the S&P 500’s total returns over the past 90 years. Including dividend income in a portfolio can give Read more
What is an RMD and When and How Do You Take It?
Time waits for no one. More of the Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are either approaching or hitting that 73-year-old financial milestone. Why is 73 a significant financial milestone? Because that is the age when you are required to begin taking your required minimum distribution, or RMD, from your retirement plan. This Read more
From Venus to Mars: The Gender Gap in Retirement
The average retirement age in the United States is 62 for women and 65 for men. Deciding how much money one needs in retirement depends on many factors; one that may be overlooked is gender. Studies show that, for women, there is a real gender gap, with women more likely to need more money for Read more