As the S&P 500 briefly dipped into bear market territory last week before rebounding, it became the last major index to breach the technical definition of a bear market, which is a fall of 20% or more from its all-time highs. Although not all markets move in unison, year-to-date returns still tell a mixed and...Read More

Yesterday’s market swoon, the largest daily decline in almost two years, was fueled by concerns that some of the ugliest earnings reports from retailing powerhouses like Walmart and Target will spread to other types of businesses. While much of the data seems to indicate that household balance sheets remain strong, and retail sales earlier this...Read More

(A written transcript of the podcast is available by contacting your JNBA Advisory Team.) One thing’s for sure when it comes to the markets: We’re not in Kansas anymore. You’re probably not surprised to hear that stocks are having the worst start to a new year since 1939. For perspective, that’s the year “The Wizard...Read More

The anticipation for extremely aggressive monetary policy from the Federal Reserve as it tries to rapidly normalize interest rates is impacting many corners of the financial markets – especially higher growth assets whose perceived earnings are not expected until further out into the future. While investors in stocks seem to have initially shrugged off the...Read More

In the first quarter of 2022, the markets were fairly volatile with rising inflation as well as the first land war in Europe since World War II. Bonds, in particular, experienced their worst quarter in 40 years, although the stable nature of bonds still don’t compare to the volatility of stocks. As these historical events...Read More

The invasion of Ukraine, rising inflation, and anticipated interest rate increases continue to spark considerable market volatility – but what does a historical perspective tell us about what could happen next? JNBA President Kim Brown and Senior Advisor and Investment Strategist John Foster discuss how global events are impacting the markets right now, and what...Read More

There is no doubt that the ongoing developments in Russia and Ukraine are not only fluid, but also unprecedented in recent history. While our hearts certainly go out to all the individuals and families impacted by the humanitarian crisis overseas, one of our core job functions, and why people hire us, is to analyze the...Read More

Financial markets do not like uncertainty. Having struggled with an unfamiliar pandemic over the last couple of years, followed by a resurgence of inflation and now a hawkish Federal Reserve likely on the verge of hiking interest rates in March, investors are increasingly on edge over what a Russian invasion of Ukraine means to them...Read More

 At JNBA, an important part of our role is helping individuals and families successfully transition into retirement. But what are the most important things to consider as you approach this significant life milestone when you begin the shift from the accumulation phase to the distribution phase? Our latest video discussion covers some key considerations...Read More

Financial market volatility resurfaced last month with stocks falling the most since March 2020 as elevated inflation (+7.5% year-over-year in January), rising interest rates, and waning central bank support all combined to dent consumer sentiment while clouding otherwise positive jobs data and earnings reports. Markets have recovered a portion of their losses through mid-February, but...Read More