Welcome to the Lifeplans Financial and Insurance Services Blog. We plan to keep everyone up to date on news, hot topics and current events through this platform going forward. Please check back weekly for new blog posts by our Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Bogdan.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Stock prices inched higher last week amid declining COVID-19 cases, a pick-up in vaccinations, and progress on a fiscal relief bill.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.00%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 1.23%....
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Thursday, February 11, 2021
Stocks notched strong gains last week, paced by a string of solid economic reports and consensus-beating corporate earnings.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.89%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 4.65%. The...
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Thursday, February 4, 2021
Despite strong corporate earnings, stock prices closed lower after a volatile week of trading triggered by unprecedented activity in a handful of companies.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 3.27%, while the Standard &...
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Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Anticipation of a new fiscal stimulus and improved vaccine distribution powered stocks to fresh record highs last week with technology stocks leading the way.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.59%, while the Standard &...
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Thursday, January 21, 2021
Markets drifted lower last week as uninspired investors digested mixed news on the economic front.The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.91% while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slid 1.48%. The Nasdaq Composite index stumbled 1...
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Thursday, January 14, 2021
Shrugging off COVID-19 infections and the disruption at the Capitol on January 6, stocks powered higher to kick off a new year of trading.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.61%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...
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Thursday, January 14, 2021
In late December, Congress passed a $900 billion stimulus package, which included $600 checks to qualifying citizens. We wanted to send along some highlights from the bill which include:Stimulus Payments. The IRS and the Treasury have...
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Friday, January 8, 2021
Stocks moved higher during a holiday-shortened week of trading, capping off a turbulent, but otherwise strong year for equity investors.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.35%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 increased...
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Thursday, December 17, 2020
Stocks retreated last week on rising COVID-19 infections and slow progress on an economic relief bill.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.57%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 0.96%. The Nasdaq Composite index...
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Thursday, December 10, 2020
Favorable data on vaccine efforts continued to stream in over the past several weeks. Both Pfizer and Moderna expect their vaccine distribution to begin in the U.S. and the U.K. within the next 30 days, contingent on FDA approval...
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Thursday, November 19, 2020
News of a COVID-19 vaccine ignited a rally in economically sensitive stocks and a broad retreat in technology companies last week, though enthusiasm was tempered by reports of rising new infections and fresh lockdowns.The Dow Jones...
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Monday, November 16, 2020
Though final counts continue, media outlets have declared Joe Biden the president-elect of the United States. President Trump, however, has stated his intention to contest election results. Pending a runoff election in Georgia,...
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Thursday, October 29, 2020
The failure to reach an agreement on a new fiscal stimulus bill soured investor sentiment and sent stocks modestly lower for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.95%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 0.53%....
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Thursday, October 22, 2020
Stocks treaded water last week amid fading prospects for a stimulus bill, fears of a second wave of COVID-19 cases, and increasing political and regulatory pressures on Big Tech companies.The Dow Jones Industrial Average added just 0...
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Thursday, October 15, 2020
Despite a shift in focus towards the fast-approaching presidential election, vaccine development remains a source of good news. Moderna – one of the leading COVID-19 vaccine developers – stated that it will not enforce...
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Thursday, October 1, 2020
Stocks were mixed last week as worries that stretched from Washington D.C., where prospects of a new fiscal stimulus bill dimmed, to Europe, which saw an increase of new COVID-19 cases.The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.75%,...
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
Stocks slipped as the technology sector remained under pressure and a mid-week announcement by the Federal Reserve failed to inspire investors.The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.03%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...
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Thursday, September 17, 2020
Stocks traveled a volatile path last week as investors appeared concerned about the upcoming elections, an uncertain economy, and more delays with additional fiscal stimulus.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.66%, while the...
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Thursday, September 3, 2020
Stocks advanced relentlessly last week on positive COVID-19 developments, encouraging economic data, and a supportive policy shift in the Fed’s approach to its target inflation rate.The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by...
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Thursday, August 27, 2020
Stocks powered to another week of gains as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite set multiple new record highs along the way.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was essentially unchanged while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose by 0...
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Thursday, August 20, 2020
Stock prices drifted higher in an otherwise quiet news week, as a slowdown in new COVID-19 cases outweighed a Congressional impasse on a new fiscal-spending measure.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.81%, while the Standard...
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Thursday, July 9, 2020
Coronavirus cases continue to spike in the U.S. and around the world, with new local hotspots in the states being Arizona, Texas, Florida and California. Several major pharmaceutical companies announced progress in human clinical...
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Thursday, June 25, 2020
With coronavirus cases showing signs of a global spike, new hotspots are starting to emerge in the states. Meanwhile, the U.S. Government has formed “Operation Warp Speed,” a team of five pharmaceutical companies...
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Sunday, June 21, 2020
I’m writing today to let you know about new federal laws (known as Regulation Best Interest, or Reg BI for short) aimed at protecting investors. While many financial professionals are already acting in the best interest of their...
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Thursday, June 18, 2020
While some of the states that relaxed social distancing measures are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, decreasing trends are being seen in several east coast states. Additionally, gained knowledge on the spread of the virus has...
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
Alongside the official U.S. recession announcement were some glimmers of hope in the form of a downward trend in new coronavirus cases and a decrease in the unemployment rate. While there are caveats to both, including 21 states with...
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Thursday, June 4, 2020
We’ve likely all noticed the civil unrest sweeping across the U.S. this past week, and we’re hoping you’re staying safe and well with your loved ones. The large number of people involved in protests have driven...
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Thursday, May 28, 2020
A new milestone was reached as COVID-19 candidate vaccines began being tested in human clinical trials at record speed. Meanwhile, economic data over the last week continues to indicate a recession but is also showing signs of life...
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Thursday, May 21, 2020
Hope was lifted this week with the potential development of a vaccine for COVID-19 however, the preliminary release of the vaccine quickly created skepticism. Unemployment is likely to peak in the next month and a new bill known as...
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