Tax Deadline Approaching:
The tax filing deadline this year is Tuesday, April 17th. If you have not yet had your 2017 income tax return prepared, don’t forget to take advantage of the CSV (Excel) file that is available to you for downloading the transactions in any taxable accounts directly to most tax preparation software programs. This can save both time and money. We are here to help where we can so don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions. We can also provide this information to your tax preparer for you if you will provide us with their name and email address.
Schedule Your Personal Review Today:
As the second quarter of the year gets into full swing, it’s a great time to call and schedule your personal review if you have not yet done so this year. We can either schedule a review in our new offices or online utilizing our Go-To-Meeting option. Please call today and reserve a day and time that best fits your schedule.
The Markets:
The major U.S. stock indices have continued to see the volatility that started this year back in early February. Even with the market swings the first part of April, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen slightly, approximately 1%, since the end of March. The broader based Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen .6% so far this month through last Friday, April 13th. (Google Finance)
Interest rates have risen slightly over the past two weeks, with the yield for the 10-Year U.S. Treasury increasing to 2.84% compared with 2.74% at the beginning of this month. (CNBC). The national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage is now at 4.35% and 3.75% for the 15-year fixed rate as of last Friday. (Bankrate.com)
In an effort to help offset current market volatility, we took a more conservative approach to our client portfolio allocations during the first half of this month. We have moved the current allocation portion of our client portfolios to fixed income funds, while keeping the equity/stock exposure limited to our current stock models for all risk levels. We will continue to monitor the situation and make changes moving forward if warranted.
The economy and corporate earnings continue to improve in general, and at this time we do not see recession in the months ahead. Tax cuts are just now being realized, both at the corporate and individual level, and should help the economy continue the current growth pattern as we move ahead in 2018. Market volatility will likely be the norm as there are still some headwinds for the markets at this time, which include geo-political issues, interest rates, and the possibility of higher inflation.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time if you have any questions or concerns, or if we can be of further service in any way. We truly appreciate the privilege of serving each and every one of you now and in the years to come.
God Bless,
Your TEAM at F.I.G. Financial Advisory Services, Inc.
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Uncertainty and Volatility