Weekly Market Commentary

The three major indexes achieved small gains in the last day of a short trading week going into the Easter weekend. Positive economic reports boosted investor confidence. March retail sales data beat expectations with a 1.6 percent rise, and U.S. jobless claims reached a 50-year low. For the week, the Dow rose 1.63 percent to close at 26,559.54. The S&P gained 0.60 percent to finish at 2,905.03, and the NASDAQ climbed 0.64 percent to end the week at 7,998.06.

Returns Through 4/26/19	1 Week	YTD	1 Year	3 Year	5 Year
Dow Jones Industrials (TR)	-0.06	14.57	11.68	16.61	12.86
NASDAQ Composite (PR)	1.85	22.77	14.44	18.56	14.86
S&P 500 (TR)	1.21	18.00	12.46	14.31	11.83
Barclays US Agg Bond (TR)	0.38	2.97	5.62	2.09	2.60
MSCI EAFE (TR)	-0.17	12.67	-3.17	6.98	2.72

Source: Morningstar.com. *Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. Three- and five-year returns are annualized. The Dow Jones Industrials, MSCI EAFE, Barclays US Agg Bond and S&P, excluding “1 Week” returns, are based on total return, which is a reflection of return to an investor by reinvesting dividends after the deduction of withholding tax. The NASDAQ is based on price return, which is the capital appreciation of the portfolio, excluding income generated by the assets in the portfolio in the form of interest and dividends. (TR) indicates total return. (PR) indicates price return. MSCI EAFE returns stated in U.S. dollars.

Nothing?! — Forty-five percent of the 76 million baby boomers in the U.S. have no retirement savings. The oldest boomers turned 65 years old in 2011. This year is the ninth of 19 years of baby boomers turning 65 (source: Insured Retirement Institute, BTN Research).

In Less Than a Generation — The average cost of one year of college at an average four-year public institution (including tuition, fees, room and board) has tripled over the last 22 years, rising from $7,142 for academic year 1996-97 to $21,370 during academic year 2018-19 (source: College Board, BTN Research).

10-Year Paper — The yield on the 10-year Treasury note closed at 2.56 percent on Thursday, April 18. The 10-year note yield closed at 2.98 percent on April 18, 2009. The 10-year note yield closed at 5.23 percent on April 18, 1999. The 10-year note yield closed at 9.06 percent on April 18, 1989 (source: Treasury Department, BTN Research).

WEEKLY FOCUS – 3 Ways to Make Money With Your Talents and Skills 

Want to make a little extra cash? Retired and just a tad bit bored? Looking to expedite paying off student loans or saving for a dream vacation? Whatever the reason, maybe you’re thinking about a part-time job but already work full time, or don’t want to embark on a new career or retool your education. Why not cash in on existing skills or talent?

Here are a few ways to pick up a little extra money, online and off: 

Teach: You’ve honed your skills over your career. Why not pass them on? Next gen professionals would benefit from your experience. And you’d have the satisfaction of knowing those lessons wouldn’t be forgotten. And don’t overlook your hobbies or general life experiences. Community colleges have entire sections devoted to ongoing education and life experiences, including travel outings, home and garden projects and specific hobbies. You could also develop online courses on your own if you’re willing to market yourself. 

Consult: Companies often outsource certain tasks to experienced consultants. This type of independent work can be very appealing. And don’t forget to think outside the box. If you have great organizational skills, you could even offer your services as a personal home organizer. 

Create: Your degree was in business, but you really wanted to become an artist (or photographer or writer, etc.). Over the years, you’ve created on the side, just for pleasure. Why not share your talent? There are websites that buy photos for image databases. Or, you could find local retailers to exhibit your for-sale art. The retailer gets original works to grace their store, and you have a venue with guaranteed traffic. You can also sell online. Several virtual storefronts cater to artists, crafters and those offering specialized services.

Opportunities to make extra money are constantly expanding. Why not capitalize on your given (and hidden) strengths, talents and skills?

If you need to reassess your future finances or major income streams, call our office. We can help ensure your financial plans are on track to meet your longevity goals.

 

This commentary brought to you by J. Graydon Coghlan, CRPC
and the team at CFG Wealth Management, Inc.
4370 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 630 San Diego, CA 92122
Phone: (858) ­550-3960 Fax: (858) ­550-3969 Toll Free: (800) ­884-5121

* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System. The Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia and Far East Index (MSCI EAFE Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-U.S. stock markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends. Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index comprised of U.S. investment-grade, fixed-rate bond market securities, including government, government agency, corporate and mortgage-backed securities between one and 10 years. Written by Securities America, Copyright January 2018. All rights reserved. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. SAI# 2520512.1

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