Have you ever thought about the similarities between Roth IRAs and cookies? At first glance, they might seem like an unlikely pair, but bear with us for a moment. Imagine if nobody ever taught you how to bake cookies. Just like that, we're here to explain Roth IRAs to you through the delightful analogy of cookies.

What is needed to get back on track? I believe the Fed needs to stop raising rates. It’s not a magic solution; if the Fed stops raising rates, things won’t automatically revert back to all good or normal. We need to get government spending in line, and the consumer needs to get healthy again before that can happen.

Maybe Lionel Ritchie was on to something. It would seem this story shouldn’t be a story, but given today’s political climate, here we are.

Hiring has been strong this year, especially at restaurants and retailers. But is there a change coming?

Ever heard of a “ Jacob’s ladder” ”? It’s a notoriously difficult sailing ship apparatus that requires finesse to use effectively. One small shift in body weight, and you get all twisted around (if you don’t fall completely off). Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell seems to be grappling with his own Jacob’s ladder, balancing between raising rates to tame inflation and supporting banks under increasing pressure due to the Fed’s rate hikes.

To say lots has been happening in the U.S. banking system over the past two weeks is quite the understatement. First Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were closed by regulators. Then fissures appeared over at Credit Suisse, which reported in February that clients pulled $119 billion out in the fourth quarter and that in 2022 the bank realized its biggest annual loss since 2009.

Remember the phrase, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb?” As we closed out a turbulent February, where we gave back almost half of our sparkling January returns, March started much like February ended.

Markets had their best January since 2019, and the upward momentum has spilled into a strong start to February thanks to the dovish Fed last week.Markets grappled with this information while also keeping a close eye on the release of the Fed minutes, which showed the Fed was nowhere close to considering a pause, let alone cuts.

Markets had their best January since 2019, and the upward momentum has spilled into a strong start to February thanks to the dovish Fed last week.

Overall, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.1% in 2022. It’s a pretty modest number, but if you consider that growth was negative in the first six months, the fact that we managed to get above 2% for the year is pretty remarkable.

Have you ever wondered how Fixed Annuities work? Watch as our advisors, Michael and Seth explain how this investment works.