The Currency - Money

Capital markets perspective: Higher for longer

When Fed Chairman Jerome Powell continually warned that the Fed was more inclined to keep rates high longer than markets seemed to expect, investors didn’t really worry too much. Now, the market’s view that the Fed would probably start cutting rates sometime after New Year’s Day looks quite a bit more tenuous than it once did.

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Take a byte of the apple 🍎

It is a truth universally acknowledged: September is Apple szn. Apple recently unveiled the iPhone 15 and announced all next-gen smartphones will switch to the universal USB-C. Whether or not you make the upgrade (if so, you might have to wait until November), what and when you bite may come down to purchasing power.

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What is a fiduciary advisor?

We’ll break down what's expected of a fiduciary and why it’s important to work with one.

money

Capital markets perspective: Strike one

Prices at the consumer level rose 0.6% in August, faster than at any point in more than a year. At the producer level, things were even worse: PPI rose 0.7%, also the biggest increase since last summer.

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Purchasing power: what it is and how it works

Purchasing power, or buying power, refers to how much you can buy with a specific amount of money. It goes up and down over time according to various economic factors. Find out how to mitigate risk to your purchasing power.

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What is annual percentage yield (APY)?

Annual percentage yield, or APY, is a percentage value that represents the total amount of interest you earn on investment accounts during the year. Learn how it’s calculated and how to compare APY for different accounts.

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Kicking off 🏈

On kickoff day of this year’s football season, we witnessed that the pros, just like us, sometimes struggle to get back into the game (even one with a recently inked $55 million annual contract). But the season is young, and there’s plenty of time to change tack. 'Tis a season of possibilities – from streaming services to soft landings.

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Capital markets perspective: Agree to disagree

It’s inflation week. We’ll get the latest read on inflation at the consumer level on Wednesday, followed a day later by the inflation at the wholesale level. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has admitted that these will be primary inputs into the FOMC’s decision on rates later this month.

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August market recap

Stocks and bonds retreated in August as comments from Fed members suggested a bias toward another possible rate hike or at least keeping rates elevated longer. Help inform your financial plan with a quick recap of the news you need to know about last month's economy and financial markets.

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Diamond in the rough 💎

Diamonds are forever. Their market value, on the other hand, isn't set in stone. Thanks in part to the growing popularity of lab-produced diamonds, the cost of natural, rough cut diamonds was down to $850 per carat in July from $1,400 in June of last year. Read on for the top news nuggets of the week and a few gems of financial insight.

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Spice things up ☕

Ready or not: Pumpkin-spice-everything is back. U.S. retail sales of pumpkin-flavored products bibbidi-bobbidi-boomed to $803 million for the 52-week period through July 2023 – up nearly 15% from the prior year.

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Slice of life 🍋

There’s only a few more weeks of summer left, so make sure to squeeze in a quick flight or last-minute road trip while you still can. For those with a zest for the finer things, we’re peeling back the latest luxe headlines for a closer look.