Insights

The last week of July was an event-heavy one for Wall Street. Investors had to evaluate the impact of significant Q2 earnings results, a Federal Reserve rate decision, the latest gross domestic product report, and more inflation data.

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Most people assume Medicare will cover their healthcare costs when they retire. If you retire before 65, you are responsible for finding and funding your own health insurance until Medicare begins. For many people, that coverage comes through the Health Insurance Marketplace, and those costs can be significant enough to affect the shape of an entire retirement income plan.

Despite a broad-based rally last Friday, stocks generally closed the week lower. With the exception of the Global Dow, each of the benchmark indexes listed here ended last week in the red. Ongoing tensions in the Middle East have wreaked havoc with crude oil prices, which jumped to over $100/barrel last Thursday, only to plunge to about $90/barrel by the end of the week.

Most people spend years planning for retirement income. They model withdrawal rates, stress-test portfolios, and carefully sequence which accounts to draw from first. What very few of them plan for is the possibility that earning one dollar too much could cost them thousands. That is exactly what IRMAA does.

Wall Street experienced a downturn last week. Investors were in a "risk-off" mood as the war in Iran escalated, while AI and semiconductor shares dropped, which dragged the overall market lower. Each of the major market indexes lost value, ending a streak of favorable weekly performances.

Despite renewed bubble concerns, today’s technology sector still looks nothing like the dot-com era’s. The Nasdaq’s five-year gain is only about one-ninth of the late-1990s surge, and technology stocks are trading at valuations that remain far below the extremes reached in 2000.

For most Americans, the answer is no. Social Security is facing long-term funding challenges, but that does not mean the program is expected to disappear. Even if Congress took no action, payroll taxes would continue to fund a significant portion of scheduled benefits.