May 30th, 2025: Weekly Market Review
1. The Federal Reserve’s current federal funds rate, as of May 2025, stands at 4.25% to 4.50%, and the neutral rate is estimated to be around 2.9% to 3.5% based on economic projections. To reach this neutral zone, the Fed would [...]
May 22nd, 2025: Weekly Market Review
1. It’s a quiet week of economic data before Memorial Day, but Moody’s downgraded U.S. debt from Aaa to Aa1 over the weekend (on 5/16/25), following S&P (2011) and Fitch (2023), citing $36.2 trillion debt (125% of GDP) and 9% deficits [...]
May 15th, 2025: Weekly Market Review
1. This week’s economic data, led by the April 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, indicated cooling inflation, with headline CPI rising 2.3% year-over-year, down from 2.4% in March, the lowest since February 2021. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.2% [...]
May 9th, 2025: Weekly Market Review
1. This week’s economic data painted a mixed picture of resilience and uncertainty, with the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on May 6–7, 2025, serving as the focal point. As widely anticipated, the Fed maintained its benchmark interest [...]
Economic Contraction, The Rolling Recession Since June 2022 and the Path Forward
Economic Contraction The U.S. economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025 (1) (preliminary data release on 4/30/25), marking the first negative GDP reading since Q1 2022, driven primarily by a record surge in [...]
Avoid Tax Surprises Next Year
As tax season rolls around each year, many individuals find themselves facing unexpected outcomes—some receiving a welcome refund, while others are hit with an unexpected tax bill. While a refund may seem like a financial windfall, and owing money may [...]
