Blog
Consumer Confidence Falls to Lowest Level in Six Years
August 25, 2020
U.S. consumer confidence fell for the second consecutive month, dropping to the lowest level since 2014. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell to 84.8 in August, down from July’s… Read more
Blog
Economists Worry About U.S. Debt Levels and Double-Dip Recession
August 24, 2020
Economists are concerned about growing debt levels in the U.S. and see a double-dip recession as a possibility, according to the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). In the semiannual… Read more
Blog
COVID Could Force 4 Million Older Workers to Retire Early
August 21, 2020
Since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, more than 3 million Americans between the ages of 55 and 70 have left the labor force, according to research from the Schwartz… Read more
Blog
Is the Stock Market’s Performance Delaying the Stimulus Bill?
August 20, 2020
Talks about another round of stimulus spending have stalled out in Washington, and American families, workers, and investors are all wondering what it will take for Congress to finally act.… Read more
Blog
Municipal Bond Defaults Rise to Highest Level in Years
August 19, 2020
Local governments have had their finances upended by the coronavirus, and The Wall Street Journal now reports that many municipalities are struggling to service their debts. Revenues from universities, convention… Read more
Blog
Emerging Market Currencies Take a Big Hit in COVID Downturn
August 18, 2020
Much has been made of the American dollar’s depreciation in recent months, but the dollar’s losses pale in comparison to some currencies from emerging markets. The Wall Street Journal is… Read more
Blog
Copper Sets the Gold Standard For Commodity Price Surge
August 17, 2020
Much has been written about the impressive rally that gold has had recently, but copper has had an even more impressive run. The Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI) has noted… Read more
Blog
Retail Sales Bounce Back to Pre-Pandemic Highs
August 14, 2020
Retail sales have more than made up the ground lost during the pandemic and have reached a new high. July’s sales increased 1.2% from the month before, bringing the total… Read more
Blog
Weekly Unemployment Claims Fall Below One Million
August 13, 2020
In a promising sign for the recovery of the labor market, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell below one million for the first time since March. Applications… Read more
Blog
Consumer Prices Rise in July as Demand Increases
August 12, 2020
U.S. consumers were paying more for goods and services in July as demand snaps back to life after the pandemic lockdown. The consumer price index, which tracks the prices of… Read more
Article
Bond Markets and the Economic Recovery
May 29, 2020
The first quarter was one of the most volatile periods on record. The coronavirus’s rapid spread across the world has roiled the global economy in ways that even the Great… Read more
Article
Navigating a Market Downturn
March 10, 2020
Fears about the spread of the coronavirus have roiled the markets in recent weeks. The S&P 500, after hitting a record high just weeks ago, has entered correction territory. A… Read more
Article
The Impact of the Coronavirus Outbreak on the Economy and Your Investments
January 29, 2020
The recent coronavirus outbreak has already enacted a human cost. At the time of writing, there have been nearly 4,700 confirmed cases, resulting in more than 100 deaths. Both numbers… Read more
Article
How to Beat the Short Term Market Jitters
December 4, 2019
When the financial markets are in turmoil and account balances start to fall, there is a strong temptation retreat from the market to stem any perceived losses. Yet it is… Read more
Article
The Benefits of Account Aggregation
November 7, 2019
Good financial planning means taking into account the entirety of a person’s finances. At Hanover, we care about more than just the accounts you have with us. We know that… Read more
Article
The Myth of ‘Playing’ the Market
October 28, 2019
Investing is often referred to as “playing” the stock market, and this is how many investors approach their investment strategy. Like a game of chess, each move in the market… Read more
Article
Elevation Sickness
May 29, 2019
Last November, the Federal Reserve released the first of what are meant to be twice-yearly reports that examine the nation’s overall financial stability. In the report, the central bank highlighted… Read more
Article
Is America’s Mountain of Corporate Debt Too Big to Climb?
April 28, 2019
At a recent speaking event, former Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen sounded the alarm about corporate debt. In the event of an economic downturn, she warned that the current levels… Read more
Article
Blurring the Lines
December 1, 2017
How much are investors really paying Wall Street? Surveys from groups such as J.D. Power & Associates report that well over half of all investors don’t know how much they… Read more
Newsletter
Financial Planning Newsletter February 2020
February 27, 2020
It is no secret that most Americans are unprepared for retirement. Most retirees cannot maintain their standard of living on just their Social Security benefits alone. Americans know that they… Read more
Newsletter
Financial Planning Newsletter December 2019
December 16, 2019
Saving for your retirement was supposed to be the hard part. When the day comes, however, when you feel confident that you have enough of a nest egg accumulated and… Read more
Newsletter
Financial Planning Newsletter May 2019
May 20, 2019
First Quarter GDP Beats Expectations, but May Not Tell the Whole Story The U.S. economy beat all estimates and grew by 3.2 percent in the first three months of the… Read more
Newsletter
Financial Planning Newsletter September 2018
October 1, 2018
Roth IRAs vs. Traditional IRAs: What You Need to Know Originally intended to aid young and low-income workers in saving for retirement, Roth IRAs have become one of the most… Read more
Newsletter
The Hanover Advisor – Newsletter November 2017
November 1, 2017
It’s no secret that living with a severe disability can result in an individual or family often incurring monumental expenses. These extra costs go far beyond just the additional medical… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – August 2020
August 28, 2020
Following steep losses in the immediate aftermath of the coronavirus, the stock market saw a swift recovery, making up much of the losses and, in some cases, reaching new highs.… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – April 2020
April 27, 2020
The coronavirus outbreak and ensuing lockdown delivered an unprecedented hit to the global economy and the financial markets. Though recent weeks have seen millions of Americans file for unemployment and… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – January 2020
January 28, 2020
Despite records gains in the stock market, including an increase of 29 percent for the S&P 500, economic growth slowed in 2019. While increased optimism surrounding trade negotiations, pre-emptive interest… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – June 2019
June 28, 2019
The current U.S. economic expansion, which began in June 2009, has now hit its 10th anniversary. Now, in the midst of the longest uninterrupted period of economic growth, the question… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – January 2019
February 8, 2019
In the fourth quarter of 2018, rising interest rates and the signs of decelerating economic growth crashed the richly valued stock market. Large U.S. stocks lost 13.8 percent of their… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – August 2018
August 13, 2018
While the U.S. stock market, by many broad, historical valuation measures, is alarmingly expensive, it remains reasonably priced in terms of the short-term profit perspective. The price to 10-year earnings,… Read more
Commentary
Investment Commentary – November 2017
November 1, 2017
President Trump and his new cabinet have proposed an ambitious agenda. They propose a sweeping overhaul of the tax code, claiming it will be the largest comprehensive change to the… Read more
Presentation
2020 Second Quarter Review
July 7, 2020
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q2 2020. Read more
Presentation
2020 First Quarter Review
April 12, 2020
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q1 2020. Read more
Presentation
2019 Fourth Quarter Review
January 8, 2020
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q4 2019. Read more
Presentation
2019 Third Quarter Review
October 10, 2019
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q3 2019. Read more
Presentation
2019 Second Quarter Review
July 8, 2019
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q2 2019. Read more
Presentation
2019 First Quarter Review
April 8, 2019
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q1 2019. Read more
Presentation
2018 Fourth Quarter Review
February 4, 2019
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q4 2018. Read more
Presentation
2018 Third Quarter Review
November 16, 2018
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q3 2018. Read more
Presentation
2018 Second Quarter Review
July 10, 2018
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q2 2018. Read more
Presentation
2018 First Quarter Review
April 4, 2018
PowerPoint slides feature quarterly and annual performance of the global equity and fixed income markets. Updated for Q1 2018. Read more
Blog
Existing Home Sales Jump to 14-Year High and Set Record Prices
September 22, 2020
The housing market continues its hot streak, with August following July’s lead in breaking records. Sales of existing homes were up 2.4% for the month for a seasonally adjusted annual… Read more
Blog
U.S. Household Net Worth Climbs to Highest Level on Record
September 21, 2020
Few would have predicted that following the first quarter’s record drop in household net worth that the second quarter would see a record high. The net worth of American households… Read more
Blog
COVID-19 has Caused A Massive Surge in Global Debt
September 18, 2020
In an effort to combat the economic fallout from the coronavirus, governments and central banks around the world have enacted massive stimulus policies and changed to monetary policy. While these… Read more
Blog
U.S. Consumer Spending May Be Slowing Down
September 17, 2020
Consumer spending appears to have slowed in August, causing some worry that the economic recovery may be faltering. Official spending data has not been released yet, but core retail sales,… Read more
Blog
The SEC Has Paid More than $500 Million to Whistleblowers
September 16, 2020
The Securities Exchange Commission has announced the latest event in its ongoing program of paying whistleblowers who alert the agency to actionable financial misconduct. The agency will award $10 million… Read more
Blog
60% of Coronavirus Business Closures May Be Permanent
September 15, 2020
When the coronavirus forced businesses to close earlier in the year, the hope was that most of them would reopen once the threat of the virus passed. Unfortunately, according to… Read more
Blog
More Than One-Third of the U.S. Workforce Is Freelancing
September 14, 2020
Freelance work is bigger than ever, contributing $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy, and with 59 million Americans participating in some form of freelance work in the last 12 months,… Read more
Blog
Inflation Sees Big Increase in August, But Will it Last?
September 11, 2020
Consumer prices saw solid gains last month, but economists remain divided over what this means in a post-COVID economy. Consumer prices were up 0.4% from July and1.3% from a year… Read more
Blog
The Housing Market May Be Going in Two Different Directions
September 10, 2020
We wrote recently about the K-shaped recovery, where some aspects of the economy have bounced back quickly, but others struggle to regain their footing after the pandemic. Well, the housing… Read more
Blog
The U.S. Is Losing $3 Billion Per Week From International Tourism
September 9, 2020
Tourism and hospitality were some of the hardest hit industries when the virus broke out. While things have recovered somewhat domestically, international travelers are still wary of U.S. destinations, which… Read more
