A huge shift is underway within the stock market, one that might roil 401(k)s in the short term, but one that many professional investors also see leading to longer-lasting gains. A surge of optimism that the pandemic is on the way out has convinced investors to revamp their playbooks for where to put money.

–John Hancock Retirement announced today the availability of a new plan design analysis dashboard which enables an in-depth review of a plan’s retirement readiness across several key metrics and identifies opportunities to improve participant outcomes. “Plan design is complex, and it impacts both the sponsor and the participant directly,” said Lynda Abend,…

Consider these names: CNN, Uber, Airbnb and Square. With the pandemic quickly shifting consumer behavior, more than $3 trillion is expected to be lost or moved to the businesses best prepared to exploit the possibilities, according to a November 2020 Accenture analysis. During the Great Recession in 2008, Jonathan Slain was an owner of personal training and…

Washington, D.C. – March 11, 2021 – A new study conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute examining individual account…

A benign reading on inflation helped spur stocks on Wall Street broadly higher, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to an all-time high. Treasury yields fell broadly following the report, including the benchmark 10- year Treasury note, which influences interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans. “It's clear that investors expect there to be a…

Investment analyst Michael Batnick, blogging at the Irrelevant Investor this week, posted what he called the most important chart of the decade. It showed the personal savings rate going back to 1960, and what leaps off the page is how Americans stashed so much money away in the terrible pandemic year of 2020 that it was easily the 60- year high in the U.S. personal…

Reducing spending in three common budget categories may significantly boost your ability to save money. And a small mental trick could help you stick to an ongoing savings plan. Research conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and J.P. Morgan Asset Management, published in June 2020, aimed to determine why some American adults save more than…

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 1, 2021 — As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, the impact has been felt by advisors and financial professionals, even the…

The new poll was conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The pandemic has particularly hurt Black and Latino households, as well as young Americans, who are now going through their second major economic crisis of their adult lives. The poll shows about half of Americans say they have experienced at least one form of household…

Radnor, Pa., March 8, 2021 – One-third of women say they are struggling to make ends meet, according to new…

A recent study of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of MDRT, found that 53% of Americans say their top New Year’s resolution was going to be related to their finances.

Franklin Templeton and iGrad/Enrich partner to provide personalized financial wellness platform for financial professionals to share with defined contribution (DC) plan sponsors and participants.

—Pension and social investment funds have been stepping up efforts to influence public companies’ conduct by getting their proposals onto annual shareholder ballots. This spring’ s proxy season will likely see more such action. Natasha Lamb is a managing partner of Arjuna Capital, an investment firm focused on social impact investing, which manages $300…

DENVER- Investment trends during the pandemic have many inexperienced investors hoping for big returns. Many see headlines about GameStop stock swings and the popularity of cryptocurrency and don't want to miss out on an opportunity to enjoy financial gains, but remain confused about how it all works. Financial expert Jason Alderson of Elbert Capital…

The recent stock market mania over the video game company GameStop, which this week was scrutinized by Congress, has provided a teachable moment for kids. “The best way to get kids interested in investing is to speak their language,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president at Charles Schwab & Co.

Gary Gensler, who was a chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during the Obama administration, testified by video for his confirmation hearing by the Senate Banking Committee. He was asked about the roiling stock-trading drama involving GameStop shares that has spurred clamor for tighter regulation of Wall Street.

—Stocks advanced in Asia on Wednesday after a wobbly day on Wall Street, when the S&P 500 gave back most of its gains from a day earlier. Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Sydney also were higher. Bond yields have eased and the yield on the 10- year Treasury inched down to 1.40% early Wednesday.

Caregiving duties can exact a big financial toll: The lost wages, pensions and Social Security benefits that a woman loses to become a full-time caregiver amount to more than $300,000 over her lifetime, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Consider the COVID-19 pandemic: Just a few months ago, in December, women lost 156,000 jobs, while men gained…

—Global stock markets and Wall Street futures declined Tuesday after a selloff in U.S. Treasury debt eased, helping to allay concern about a possible rise in interest rates. Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong closed lower and Frankfurt retreated in early trading. That came after a Treasury selloff abated after pushing yields to their highest level in a year.

The coronavirus-fueled housing boom has not hit every community evenly. In 2019, the overall national homeownership rate was 64.2%, according to the National Association of Realtors. “The banking industry and the real estate industry have not been kind to minorities,” said Debra Johnson-King, executive director of Global Empowerment Development…

When it tries to figure out the value for anything from Apple’ s stock to a junk bond, the financial world starts by comparing it against a U.S. Treasury bond, which is what the government uses to borrow money. But when Treasury yields rise, so does the downward pressure on prices for other investments. All eyes have been on the yield of the 10- year Treasury note, which…

AIG Retirement Services, a leading retirement plan provider for tax-exempt and public sector employers, today announced the results of a…

—Global stock markets followed Wall Street higher Thursday after the Federal Reserve chairman said the U.S. central bank is in no hurry to withdraw support for the economy. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul closed higher. That helped to dampen fears sparked by a rise in U.S. Treasury bond yields, an indicator of inflation sentiment, that rising price pressure…

“This company has been an accomplished acquirer during the last 30 years,” said bank analyst Gerard Cassidy, of RBC Capital Markets in Portland, Maine. But that changed earlier this week, when the Buffalo- based bank announced its purchase of People's United Financial of Bridgeport, Conn.— its first under CEO Rene Jones. The $7.6 billion deal will create the 11th-…

MINNEAPOLIS – Feb. 24, 2021 – As Americans continue to grapple with many aspects of COVID-19, the vast majority believe…

—Shares fell Wednesday in Asia as investors weighed the possibility that inflation might prompt central banks to adjust their ultra-low interest rate policies, despite reassurances from the chair of the Federal Reserve. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 shed 1.6% to 29,671.70. Hong Kong's government announced pandemic relief measures worth $15.4 billion to help the…

New York, February 23, 2021 – Wealthspire Advisors unveiled today a suite of impact investing solutions for clients seeking to…

Caring.com, a leading senior living referral service and the nation's top site for senior care reviews, has published a comprehensive report from its annual Wills and Estate Planning Study. The 2021 study highlights the pandemic's impact on estate planning and the shift in attitudes among specific groups. “In comparison to previous years, the 2021 study…

Forty- eight percent of retirees with retirement accounts say that their savings have not recovered pre-pandemic levels, according to a new survey by The Senior Citizens League. “There's no doubt about it, the Coronavirus- caused recession is forcing many older adults to rethink retirement plans,” says Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst…

Women are bearing a tremendous financial burden during the pandemic, primarily because of leaving the workforce, by choice or by force. The Associated Press spoke with Suze Orman, personal finance expert and author of the podcast Women& Money, about how women can survive and emerge from this period. Responses were edited for length and clarity.

Former White House National Economic Council Director, Larry Kudlow, is joining The Bahnsen Group, a $2.6 billion national wealth management firm with offices in New York City and Newport Beach, Calif., as an economic advisor.

—Global stock markets and U.S. futures were mostly higher Friday after disappointing American jobs and economic data. London and Frankfurt rose in early trading while Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul closed higher. In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London was up less than 0.1% at 6,621.20 while Germany's DAX gained 0.2% to 13,912.29.

Feb. 18— Elizabeth Warren wants President Biden to follow in former President Donald Trump's footsteps— in canceling student loan debt. The Massachusetts senator called on her constituents to “send a note to President Biden” to wipe out $50,000 per borrower during a virtual town hall on Tuesday. Biden rejected calls to erase up to $50,000 in federal student loan…

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. It's enormously expensive– the version sponsored by Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to waive up to $50,000 in student loan debt per person– would cost upwards of $1 trillion. It's unclear if the narrow Democratic Senate majority would approve anything like the Warren-Schumer plan, or even President Joe…

Feb. 17— Billionaire investor Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway business sold its entire $800 million stake in M&T Bank Corp. in recent months, eliminating an investment it had held since 1991.. It came about a year after Berkshire sold its other Buffalo- based holding, The Buffalo News, along with other newspapers to Lee Enterprises.

DENVER—Nearly seven in 10 U.S. adults (68 percent) say they experienced unexpected financial setbacks in 2020, according to a survey…

Consumer priorities have changed significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly half (45%) of consumers surveyed planning to save more and those most impacted financially seeking to mitigate future financial uncertainty.

Laura Klauser sometimes finds herself looking at home listings online and can’ t help but laugh. Up from 12% a year ago, 18% of U.S. renters ages 24 to 39 said they expect they will always rent, and 74% of those renters said it’ s because they cannot afford to buy a home. “I don’ t want to be financially tied to something, just in case,” said South Shore resident Kelly Williams, 36.“…

—Amy Cooper, the white woman arrested last year for calling 911 on a Black birdwatcher in New York’ s Central Park, had her criminal case thrown out Tuesday after completing a diversionary counseling program that prosecutors said was meant to educate her on the harm of her actions. There is no relation between Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper.

BitIRA– pioneer of the first insured cold storage solution for cryptocurrency retirement accounts– has engaged a panel of London insurance companies to offer dollar-for-dollar insurance on customers' digital currencies. In several cases, $0 insurance $100 million $50 million. When presented with these figures, Warner was quick to point out that even a $100…

Being asked to be an executor is an honor you might want to pass up. Settling an estate typically involves tracking down and appraising assets, paying bills and creditors, filing final tax returns and distributing whatever’ s left to the heirs. Robert Braglia of New York, a certified financial planner, was executor of an estate where the woman disowned three of her…

The recent round of $600 stimulus checks was intended to help fuel the economy through consumer spending and discretionary spending. But many Americans who qualified for the second round of stimulus checks are using – or plan to use – the money for savings, to pay down debt or to handle everyday expenses.

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – February 11, 2020 – George Nichols III, President and CEO at The American College of…

Radnor, Pa., Feb. 9, 2021 – The pandemic continues to create financial challenges for all Americans, but research from Lincoln…

Another wobbly day on Wall Street ended with the major stock indexes mostly lower, though the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up to another all-time high. Treasury yields fell after a government report showed that inflation remained tame last month. The Labor Department said Wednesday that U.S. consumer prices rose 0.3% in January, led by a surge in energy.

WASHINGTON— If you have been following the news about the meteoric rise of GameStop stock shares, you may think investing is exciting— a chance for anyone and everyone to make fast money. What has followed are tales of regular investors scoring big on the rising price of GameStop stocks. In gambling parlance, the GameStop windfall is something closer to…

DENVER (February 10, 2021) – The COVID-19 pandemic made the delivery of in-person pro bono financial planning services difficult in…

—Global stock markets and U.S. futures rose Wednesday after Wall Street broke a six-day winning streak. London and Frankfurt opened higher, while Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong also advanced. On Tuesday, Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index ended down 0.1% as investors watched Washington, where President Joe Biden’ s Democrats planned to move ahead without…

HARTFORD, CT – February 9, 2021 – According to Conning, high dividend equity strategies can serve institutional investors in this…

Hope Enterprise Corporation, which runs a Jackson, Mississippi- based credit union that specializes in lending and other financial services to underserved communities in the Deep South, is partnering with seven cities and nine historically Black colleges and universities to launch the“ Deep South Economic Mobility Collaborative. “Goldman Sachs 10,000…