With all that is going on in the world these days, I am introducing Weekly Market Notes as a supplement to our traditional Monthly Outlook.  I hope you find it informative and useful.  Please feel free to share it with family, friends, and colleagues.

For the Week of April 24, 2017

The Markets

Investors appeared cautious prior to the French election. U.S. stocks dipped Friday but were up for the week, allowing the S&P 500 to achieve its first weekly gain in three. For the week, the Dow rose 0.51 percent to close at 20,547.76. The S&P gained 0.87 percent to finish at 2,348.69, and the NASDAQ climbed 1.82 percent to end the week at 5,910.52.

 

Returns Through 4/21/17	1 Week	YTD	1 Year	3 Year	5 Year
Dow Jones Industrials (TR)	0.51	4.71	17.25	10.43	12.34
NASDAQ Composite (PR)	1.82	9.80	19.50	12.77	14.52
S&P 500 (TR)	0.87	5.54	14.71	10.16	13.65
Barclays US Agg Bond (TR)	0.00	1.75	1.34	2.88	2.34
MSCI EAFE (TR)	0.22	6.68	6.67	0.32	6.26

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.

Halfway Through the Year — The U.S. budget deficit for the first six months of the fiscal year (i.e., the six months ending March 31) was $527 billion (source: Treasury Department, BTN Research).

Bears Follow Bulls — The average decline for the S&P 500 during the 11 bear markets since the end of World War II is 34 percent (source: BTN Research).

No Progress Made — After adjusting data for the impact of inflation, the median household income today ($56,516) is lower than the median household income ($57,909) from 1999 (source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, BTN Research).

WEEKLY FOCUS – Teach a Child to Save Day, April 24

Teach a Child to Save Day is a national effort to help young people develop a savings habit. By focusing on the youngest segment of our society, you can help create a financially literate and independent generation.

The earlier you teach your child or grandchild to save, the better. As soon as children can say “I want,” they’re probably old enough to learn. Children as young as three can grasp financial concepts like saving and spending. Start with simple approaches. Set up three containers and label them saving, spending and sharing. Show them how to divide their allowance into the appropriate jars. They’ll not only learn about saving but also delayed gratification, budgeting and charitable giving.

At 8-10 years, most children are beyond the piggy bank years and can understand how a bank savings account works. Now is the time to take them to the bank and open up a savings account. Many banks and credit unions have programs that teach them how to save and even invest.

It’s difficult for everyone – especially children – to internalize information and retain it. Making it useful and relevant can help make that education last a lifetime. Incorporate lessons on saving into your child’s or grandchild’s everyday life. Even a trip to the grocery store offers a myriad of teaching opportunities. Make learning how to save fun. Plan a game day or night with a traditional board game that teaches about money, like The Game of Life, Monopoly, Payday or Money Bags™.

Take advantage of your child’s or grandchild’s generational habits. Younger people live out their lives online. Although young children won’t have unlimited access, they’re still part of the digital world. There are numerous online games and apps that can teach them how to save. Some experts suggest financial education apps that are interactive and feature gamification to better hold a child’s interest. A few recommended online games or apps include Bankaroo, iAllowance, Piggybot™ and Yuby.

Teaching a child to save gives them tools they’ll use for the rest of their life. You can use traditional or online teaching methods – or both. Whatever you do, make it relevant, consistent and fun. To learn even more about teaching your child or grandchild to save, call for an appointment. We can help with lessons for any age.

  For more information contact us at 973-771-5120 or by email at Info@mywealthdirection.com