Articles

Sharing Our Financial Wisdom through Articles

Slow Down, Please

Slow Down, Please

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “The Federal Reserve, the greatest influence in the stock market in the last two years, raised its rate again on July 26th. It was the 11th rate increase since March 2022, making it the highest rate level since early 2001.”

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Gas Prices

Gas Prices

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “In the Spring of 2020, gas prices dropped to their lowest levels in decades because of a lack of demand during the pandemic. Shortly after, oil and gas prices rose sharply through the economic recovery and shipping problems in 2021.”

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Nice Half

Nice Half

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “As I chart a course for the accounts I manage for the rest of the year, I find it helpful to review the first six months of 2023.”

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Losing the Dollar as the World’s Currency

Losing the Dollar as the World’s Currency

"We can always take it back." I don't know when my Craftsman tool indoctrination began, but one thing for sure, we knew if we broke it, bent it, or wore it out, we could take it back and get a new replacement wrench. We trusted in the strength of the Craftsman...

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Stressed Banks

Stressed Banks

"I never want to back a boat trailer in again." Some of the greatest stress in my marriage was trying to help my wife back the boat trailer down a ramp. She didn't want to load the boat or back the trailer, so the whole process became a stress test. US big banks just...

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Apartment Surge

Apartment Surge

"I forgot to mention it's on the third floor." My sister conned me into helping her move into an apartment several years ago and didn't tell me we'd have to carry her oversized couch up three flights of stairs. I smashed my hand carrying it but eventually got my...

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Federal Reserve Carburetor

Federal Reserve Carburetor

"Now we listen to it idle." My dad worked on small engines as a side job when I was a kid. I remember watching him adjust a cantankerous carburetor and then stepping back to watch it. I asked him what he was waiting for, and he said, "Now we listen to it idle," to see...

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Ambush Market

Ambush Market

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “The market technically started a new bull market in the last few days when stocks rose 20% above the last bear market low point.”

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100 Market Days

100 Market Days

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “We just reached the 100th trading day of 2023, and it’s been a solid 100 days for stocks.”

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Fake Market Drama

Fake Market Drama

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “Last Monday, May 22, 2023, a fake picture claiming to show an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., was posted and widely shared on social media, causing a quick drop in the stock market.”

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Better Than Feared

Better Than Feared

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “The earnings reporting season for the first quarter is almost finished, and like the past couple of earnings seasons, companies did much better than expected.”

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US Debt Ceiling

US Debt Ceiling

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “There’s a lot of talk about the US Debt Ceiling, which can be confusing.”

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The Fed Tug-of-War

The Fed Tug-of-War

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “According to the Wall Street Journal, the Federal Reserve (Fed) raised rates another 0.25% in its continued inflation fight but signaled it might be finished raising rates.”

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Low Consumer Confidence

Low Consumer Confidence

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “The Conference Board recently reported that consumer confidence (Americans’ comfort level about the economy) dropped in April to its lowest level in almost a year.”

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2023 Recession

2023 Recession

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “A recession is coming. The Federal Reserve recently released the March 21-22 meeting minutes.”

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Not an NBA Rebound

Not an NBA Rebound

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “This past week we marked the six-month anniversary of the market low (S&P 500) on October 12, 2022. Since that low of negative 25% from the previous high, the S&P 500 has rebounded just over 15%, according to Yahoo Finance.”

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First Quarter Review

First Quarter Review

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “The stock market’s impressive come-from-behind performance in March was dramatic, even with several market disruptions, including a mini-banking crisis. The S&P 500 finished the first quarter up 7.37% and Dow 0.77%, according to JPMorgan.”

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Small Bank Troubles

Small Bank Troubles

Financial management news and insights from Fervent Wealth Management in Springfield, MO. “The banking ‘crisis’ talk has calmed down, but people are still nervous. According to the Federal Reserve, 120 billion dollars has moved from smaller banks to the 25 largest US banks in the last few days since the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.”

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