Sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to find help when you need it most.  Rather than shooting in the dark or finding someone out of the yellow pages and hoping for the best; why not use us as a resource?  In our line of business, we are able to work with service providers and professionals of all walks of life.  If you need a second opinion or another resource, we can try to find you the help you need.  We have dealt with many attorneys, accountants, estate planners, contractors, mechanics and others that we trust and can help point you in the right direction.  Read more

·         Consumer confidence in February was at its highest level in over three years.  This explains the International Retail Council of Shopping Centers positive retail sales announcement for last month, and why earlier this week automakers reported double-digit sales gains for February, extending a recovery that started late last year.

·         The Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell to 368,000. That’s the lowest level since May 2008.  The signs of job growth followed a report Wednesday from payroll processor ADP saying that private employers added far more jobs than analysts had expected last month.

·         Indexes of manufacturing output hit their highest levels in seven years in the U.S. and more than ten years in Europe, marking an accelerating expansion that could add to inflationary pressures.  Meanwhile, Asian factory output kept growing but at a less rapid pace.  China’s manufacturing sector posted its slowest expansion in seven months, easing worries about an overheating factory sector there.

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For the last six months, the stock market seemed to advance without any interruptions and shrugged off any negative news.  That is until this week.  Unrest in the Middle East, protestors here at home and senators fleeing their states, higher oil, gasoline and food prices, along with a decline in housing prices, seem to be the headlines of the day. 

Ironically, the headlines and TV anchors have done a 180.  Up until this week, the sky was the limit and the U.S. economy was making nice strides and markets around the world were advancing as well.  Now, the mood is decidedly negative and apocalyptic.  Read more

Now that the snow is thawing, the sun shining and the birds chirping; we all know that it’s time for our favorite season.  No, not spring, but tax season.   All of us at IIA realize that it may be more joyous for some than others, but that’s why we’re here to help.  If you have any questions about your investments and how they may impact your taxes or if you would like us to discuss your investments with your tax professional, we would be more than happy to be of assistance.  Additionally, if you need help finding a qualified tax professional, we’d be happy to refer you.

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Last week I spent several days at the TD Ameritrade National conference for financial advisors.  All types of industry experts were on hand and CNBC televised from the conference.  That being said, it was like drinking from a fire hose.  Tons of great and applicable information, and I will be sharing some of the most pertinent with you in future commentaries.  That being said, I am going to take a break from the commentary this week and try and get some flowers ordered before it’s too late!  Read more

As citizens, business owners, and parents, we all have certain responsibilities placed upon us and certain requirements we must abide by.  We must pay our income taxes on a timely basis; we must have the necessary business licenses, and we must care for the needs of our children.  If we ignore or neglect any of these responsibilities, then we face possible fines, and other penalties from various government organizations (i.e., the IRS, city hall or Social and Rehabilitation Services). 

Unfortunately, this is not a two-way street as it relates to the government and what is required of it.  The following are just a few examples: 

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported the following:  “at the request of The Wall Street Journal, DPC DATA Inc., a specialist in municipal disclosure, did an extensive analysis of disclosure and found the problem growing since a 2008 study.  Of 17,000 bond issues it studied, more than 56% filed no financial statements in any given year between 2005 and 2009.   Read more

• Over the past week executives with the three largest North American  railroads reported that not only are their profits up, they believe the business environment is so good they are rehiring more laid off workers and even adding new staff as imports of consumer goods pick up and exports of coal, metals and grains rise.   If railroads are confident enough to hire back or even add new workers; that is a sign that their customers (i.e., businesses) are producing and selling more goods, which is a positive omen for the economy. 
• Oil companies have ramped up drilling activity in response to higher oil and gas prices. 
• In an effort to keep interest rates low and boost the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve has decided to continue its plan to buy $600 billion of long-term U.S. Treasury bonds.  Federal Reserve policy makers believe that the economy is in a slow recovery and even though commodity prices have risen, long-term inflation expectations have remained stable.  Bottom line, the Federal Reserve is going to do all it can to nudge economic growth. 
• American Express reported this week that its customers increased their spending by 15% in the fourth quarter of last year. Read more

Wednesday’s and Thursday’s market downturns signaled that the stocks may be taking a pause.  The U.S. and many overseas markets have been progressing upward nicely with minimal retrenchment.  As a matter of fact, Barron’s, a weekly investment magazine, noted this prior weekend (January 17, 2011) that the Dow Jones Industrials Average (DJIA) had not suffered a one-day loss of more than 1% since last Thanksgiving.  Is this unusual? You bet it is!  1965 was the last time the DJIA’s went this long without a larger correction. 

As a result, market volatility is down, and investors are becoming lackadaisical.  As I have noted in prior commentaries, it would not be surprising to see a correction, maybe in the range of 5% – 10%, at some point before the market moves upward to new highs this year.  A downward trend for a couple of days, weeks or even a month or two, is not the end of the world, but just reality. Read more

• Developed markets like the U.S. and Europe are old hat, but developing markets like the BRICs; Brazil, India, China and Russia are currently the “in” crowd.  However, emerging markets like Africa are the next hot area.  In the U.S. we have growing concerns regarding the fiscal health of our middle class, but the emerging market countries are seeing a rise in number of their middle class and businesses are rushing to capture them.  One example of this is in Kenya where several large international telecommunication firms are battling for cell phone subscribers. 
• Just today I received an e-mail from LinkedIn (an online professional networking tool) that showed in 2010 approximately 21% of the professionals I’m connected with changed jobs or their career paths.  Read more

Payroll processor Automatic Data Processing and Macreconomic Advisors, LLC, a consulting firm, issued a report this week stating that the private sector (i.e., non-governmental entities) added 297,000 jobs last month.  Other positive items were the Federal Reserve’s announcement that weekly commercial and industrial loans loan growth was back in positive territory for the first time since late 2008, and the Commerce Department reporting that factory orders increased in November.  Also, MasterCard Advisors’ Spending Pulse report noted that retail spending of all kinds during the holiday season reported its largest gain in five years. Read more