April - 2020

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Stocks Cap Final Session of Week with Gains

Charles Schwab and Co., Inc.

Apr 24, 2020
10 min

Stocks Cap Final Session of Week with Gains

U.S. equities finished out a bumpy week on an up note, but snapped a two-week winning streak, as investors weighed a ramp up in Q1 earnings season and continued uncertainty surrounding the timing and implications of the reopening of the U.S. economy. Moreover, Congress passed another bill this week to aid small businesses and the healthcare system to combat the severe disruption from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. However, the economic calendar continued to provide more

Progress in War Against COVID-19 Boosts Optimism

Charles Schwab and Co., Inc.

Apr 18, 2020
10 min

Progress in War Against COVID-19 Boosts Optimism

U.S. equities finished higher, posting a second-straight week of gains, as new developments in the forward progress in the war against the coronavirus pandemic boosted sentiment and overshadowed a record monthly drop in Leading Indicators. Yesterday evening, a report from STAT News said Gilead Sciences' potential COVID-19 treatment, known as Remdesivir, saw "rapid" recoveries in a study of patients, President Donald Trump unveiled guidelines on reopening the world's largest e

Will You Have to Pay Capital Gains Taxes on the Sale of Your Home?

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz

Apr 10, 2020
4 min

Will You Have to Pay Capital Gains Taxes on the Sale of Your Home?

Key Points It's smart to understand your potential capital gains tax liability before you put your house on the market. An individual can exclude up $250,000 of profit on a home sale from their taxable income; a married couple can exclude up to $500,000. To qualify for these exclusions, the seller must pass the IRS ownership and use tests. Dear Carrie, Two and a half years ago my husband and I moved from a home we had owned and lived in for ten years. At that time we bought a

Should Tax Planning Be Part of Your Financial Plan?

Charles Schwab and Co., Inc.

Apr 10, 2020
3 min

Should Tax Planning Be Part of Your Financial Plan?

As an investor, there’s good reason to be focused on how well your investments are performing. But you don’t want to overlook other considerations that are nearly as essential. The Schwab Center for Financial Research has found that while wise investment selection and asset allocation are among the most important factors for investing success—minimizing taxes and other costs is also key. “Almost every financial decision you make has tax consequences,” says Hayden Adams, CPA,

Looking to the Futures

Apr 10, 2020
4 min

Looking to the Futures

Looking into the future with accurate vision can be a valuable skill for investment managers. Copper is the world’s third most widely used metal, ranking behind iron and aluminum and is used in highly cyclical industries such as construction and industrial machinery manufacturing. With copper’s reputation as a leading economic indicator, it can’t hurt to keep an eye on the red metal as we attempt to observe what’s ahead. As we started 2020 analysts seemed to agree that fundam

Box of Letters: What Shape Will the Recession/Recovery Take?

Liz Ann Sonders

Apr 10, 2020
7 min

Box of Letters: What Shape Will the Recession/Recovery Take?

Key Points COVID-19-relevant leading indicators are painting a bleak economic picture. Murkiness in the outlook has resulted in an incredibly wide (and dour) outlook for second quarter real GDP. Beyond the obvious short-term implications of COVID-19 and its economic impact, there are longer-term secular changes likely coming. I participated in a Reuters Twitter Chat for an hour last week—one of the fastest-paced hours I’ve ever spent on Twitter. One of the initially-posted qu

$2.3 Trillion Bazooka Blast from Fed Boosts Stocks

Charles Schwab and Co., Inc.

Apr 9, 2020
11 min

$2.3 Trillion Bazooka Blast from Fed Boosts Stocks

U.S. equities finished higher, adding to a recent rally off of the March 23rd lows in the final day of a holiday-shortened week, as the Federal Reserve delivered another flood of monetary policy stimulus, this time to the tune of $2.3 trillion. The Fed's actions are aimed at providing further relief and stability to the markets in the wake of another surge in jobless claims that has brought unemployment applications above the 16 million mark in just the past three weeks. Trea

Today's Options Market Update

Nathan Peterson

Apr 9, 2020
7 min

Today's Options Market Update

U.S. stocks are extending a recent bounce off of March 23rd lows in the final day of a holiday-shortened week, with the Federal Reserve delivering another monetary policy bazooka blast of $2.3 trillion. The Fed's actions are aimed at providing further relief and stability to the markets in the wake of another spike in jobless claims that have breached 16 million in the past three weeks. Asia finished mostly higher and Europe is gaining ground with the global markets also cont

Top Spending Categories in Retirement

Apr 6, 2020
3 min

Top Spending Categories in Retirement

As you build your nest egg and plan for retirement, one of the most important things is to estimate how your expenses might look like after you stop working. One approach is to assume you’ll need only 75% to 80% of your current income once you reach retirement, since some big work-related expenses—such as annual retirement contributions and commuting costs—will likely go away. Indeed, data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a reduction in spending right around t

Virus Anxiety, Gloomy Data Pressure Stocks

Charles Schwab and Co., Inc.

Apr 3, 2020
11 min

Virus Anxiety, Gloomy Data Pressure Stocks

The U.S. equity markets ended another bumpy week on a down note, posting the third weekly decline in four, as the heightened uncertainty surrounding the depth and duration of the COVID-19's economic and social impact continued to sap sentiment. The uneasiness came amid news that global cases breached the 1 million mark and the U.S. looks to be heading into rough waters. As well, a host of March economic data painted a downbeat picture, with nonfarm payrolls in the U.S. fallin

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