Blog

Last week in our LPL Research blog, we took a closer look at how stocks have performed during an election year. We found that since 1940, the S&P 500 Index hasn’t been lower during an election year when an incumbent president has been up for reelection.

Consumer inflationary pressures grew at a healthy, but manageable rate in December 2019.

At some point in your life, you probably have heard about the importance of developing a budget. But, why is a budget so important? Perhaps you simply spend what you must and save whatever’s left over. Or, perhaps you spend all you have and borrow or charge anything else that you need.

The fourth quarter is winding down, and investors are getting nervous that volatility in the short-term lending market could flare up once again.

Diet books. Fitness apps. Live-streamed exercise classes. They all tell you the same thing: Maintaining good physical health requires discipline and adherence to a few simple habits, such as eating wisely, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. But did you know that the same basic formula can also apply to achieving and managing financial fitness?

A well-crafted business plan can be a blueprint for success. This multifaceted tool is as important to established business owners looking to grow their companies as it is to budding entrepreneurs.

Hindsight is 20/20, but finding clarity in future uncertainty can be fuzzy.

It took nearly 15 months, but the Russell 2000 Index finally broke out to a new 52-week high. On November 25, the Russell 2000 gained an impressive 2.1% to close at its highest level since October 2018.

Consumer inflation continued at a moderate, but manageable, pace in October.

As shown in the LPL Chart of the Day, the core Consumer Price Index (CPI), which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.3% year over year in October. That’s slightly lower than September’s 2.4% year-over-year growth, which was the fastest pace of the economic cycle.