Robert Krueger

Alexander Randolph Advisory Inc.

8200 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1125

McLean, VA 22102

703.734.1507

www.alexanderrandolph.com

September 2018
Market Update
(all values as of 09.30.2024)

Stock Indices:

Dow Jones 42,330
S&P 500 5,762
Nasdaq 18,189

Bond Sector Yields:

2 Yr Treasury 3.66%
10 Yr Treasury 3.81%
10 Yr Municipal 2.63%
High Yield 6.66%

YTD Market Returns:

Dow Jones 12.31%
S&P 500 20.81%
Nasdaq 21.17%
MSCI-EAFE 12.90%
MSCI-Europe 12.10%
MSCI-Pacific 13.80%
MSCI-Emg Mkt 16.80%
 
US Agg Bond 4.44%
US Corp Bond 5.32%
US Gov’t Bond 4.39%

Commodity Prices:

Gold 2,657
Silver 31.48
Oil (WTI) 68.27

Currencies:

Dollar / Euro 1.11
Dollar / Pound 1.33
Yen / Dollar 142.21
Canadian /Dollar 0.73
 

Macro Overview

Trade and tariffs continued at the forefront of discussions among the U.S. and international trading partners. Topics at hand included the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and protecting U.S. intellectual property rights internationally. 

Emerging market currencies were rattled worldwide as turmoil with Argentina and Turkey spilled over into the broader markets. Contagion concerns spread in late August as Turkey’s currency fell following comments by the European Central Bank (ECB). Argentina saw its currency collapse as it sought immediate financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Contagion refers to the threat of what is occurring in Turkey and Argentina could migrate to other emerging market economies. The brewing financial crisis with Turkey is similar to the government debt crisis that occurred with Greece eight years ago. Recently imposed U.S. sanctions on Russia added to emerging market distress as the Russian ruble weakened versus other major currencies and the U.S. dollar.

The stock market marked its longest period of uninterrupted gains in history, running 3,453 days from the market low on March 9, 2009 during the depths of the financial crisis. Since then, the Dow Jones Industrial Index catapulted from 6,500 to over 25,500 in August, while the S&P 500 sprang from 666 to over 2800.

It has been 10 years since the financial crisis of 2008 when financial markets experienced turbulence not seen in decades. An ultra low interest rate environment ensued for nearly a decade after the Federal Reserve began flooding the financial markets with massive amounts of liquidity in order to stem the crisis at hand. Since then, numerous legislation and regulations were implemented providing safety measures and guidelines.

Viewed as an optimistic indicator for the U.S. economy, inflation rose the most in seven years as consumer prices increased at an annual rate of 2.9%. While inflation is an indicator of economic expansion in the economy, wages are not keeping up with rising prices nationwide.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its summary of the most recent federal budget as of July. Federal spending increased by $143 billion, attributable to increases in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security expenditures. There was also a rise in individual taxes, a result of larger withholdings on paychecks which increased by $32 billion. That increase in withholdings reflects recent increases in wages and salaries, meaning that the economy is possibly experiencing more people working and at higher pay rates.

California is due to become the first state to impose a quota for the inclusion of women on the boards of publicly traded companies headquartered in the state. Other states are expected to follow California’s lead by eventually implementing similar mandates.

Various social media and technology companies are facing criticism and possible regulatory oversight regarding the influence they maintain. Many see that the political and cultural clout held by just a few companies may eventually be of concern. (Sources: ECB, IMF, Dept. of Commerce, Bloomberg, http://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, CBO)

 
The Turkish lira has fallen over 40% year to date versus the U.S. dollar

Equities Maintain Their Resilience – U.S. Equity Markets

A persistent trade dispute between the United States and China has been lingering over the financial markets for some time now. Helping to buoy domestic markets are strong corporate earnings and improving economic data. Earnings from U.S. companies this quarter are being considered the healthiest since the third quarter of 2009 during the financial crisis.

Some U.S. companies are seeing an increase in sales as well as an increase in gross margins, considered optimistic by equity analysts. The continued strength of the U.S. dollar, however, is starting to weigh on earnings for certain companies transacting business overseas.

The administration has proposed altering quarterly reporting for publicly traded U.S. companies to a semi-annual basis. Similar proposals have been made by companies and regulators in the past in order to stem volatility and focus on earnings. Recent news has focused on some companies going private and shedding the regulatory hurdles and burden caused by quarterly reporting.

Sources: Bloomberg, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Trade & Currency Concerns – International Update

Currency and debt concerns among emerging markets drove global volatility upward. Fiscal turmoil with Turkey and Argentina spread to other emerging economies as the fear of contagion rose.

A stronger U.S. dollar in addition to tariff tensions added to the uncertainty as emerging market currencies fell versus the dollar.

Russia, considered an emerging market, was also affected by sanctions imposed by the U.S. The sanctions are considered political yet may develop into more economic sanctions should relations falter. Russia’s currency, the ruble, has fallen over 16% this year versus the U.S. dollar.

Trade and tariff disputes continued to headline uncertainty throughout the global markets. Canada, Mexico and China were in the forefront of negotiations as the administration sought tariff relief for U.S. companies selling products overseas.

Sources: Dept. of Commerce, FRED

Yields Continue To Flatten – Fixed Income Update

A flattening Treasury yield curve remained a focal topic among fixed income analysts in August. The shrinking spread, or difference, between the yield on the 2-year Treasury note and the 10-year Treasury bond reached levels not seen since 2007. The interpretation is that longer term economic growth is expected to be muted, which is reflected in the yield of the 10 year Treasury. The Federal Reserve is still on course for additional rate hikes, but at a very gradual pace.

Ten years have passed since the financial crisis that began in September 2008 when the Federal Reserve flooded the financial markets with massive amounts of liquidity in order to stem the crisis at hand. An ultra low interest rate environment followed for nearly a decade before the Fed reversed course and started raising rates once again.

The Federal Reserve mentioned during one of its meetings in August that it had determined when a prolonged period of low volatility exists, an increase in lending and risk-taking ensures.

Sources: U.S. Treasury, Bloomberg

 
Retirement Tax Planning

Tax on Social Security In Retirement – Retirement Tax Planning

A prudent and effective tax strategy during your employment years will mostly likely need to be modified in retirement. Once earned income ceases and income from retirement plans, investments, and Social Security commences, tax liabilities change.

The impact of the changes is primarily driven by the assets that we have little tax control over once we reach 70.5, which include IRAs, 401ks, and pensions. Reaching age 70.5 triggers RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions). Distributions from tax deferred retirement accounts such as an IRA or a 401k are generally taxed at the ordinary tax rate. Distributions from a Roth IRA or Roth 401k are income tax free as long as the account has been opened for at least five years and the account holder is 59.5.

Investment income such as stock dividends and bond interest are taxed differently, especially when they are held outside of a retirement account. Realizing gains on stocks that have been held for one year or more can be taxed at a more favorable rate than the ordinary rate. Interest on bonds and gains realized on short-term positions less than one year, are taxed at the ordinary rate.

Retirement also introduces us to Social Security which, contrary to popular belief, can be taxed. Eligibility for Social Security benefit payments begins at age 62, but can be postponed until age 70. A key determinant as to when to start receiving Social Security may be contingent on the amount of retirement assets in retirement accounts subject to RMDs. This is where tax strategies can vary dramatically.

Retirees with excessive assets in retirement accounts subject to RMDs and with non-retirement investment income may want to confer with a tax professional to help determine when to take Social Security. Conversely, retirees with minimal assets in retirement accounts and investments may have little concern about paying taxes on their Social Security benefits.

The IRS determines if and how taxes are owed on Social Security by the “provisional income” measure. Provisional income includes gross income, tax-free interest, and 50% of Social Security benefits. If the provisional income is above a certain amount, then a portion of the Social Security income becomes taxable.

One way to potentially lower taxes in retirement is to start taking distributions from tax-deferred accounts before it’s required. Again, once you reach age 59½, you can withdraw funds from those accounts without paying the 10% early withdrawal penalty. The withdrawals are still taxed as ordinary income, but over time they reduce the size of tax deferred accounts, and thus the size of your RMDs. Another reason to access those funds before 70½ is that it could help you delay taking your social Security benefit, which increases in size the later you take it, up to age 70.

Another strategy for reducing the potential tax consequences of RMDs is converting a traditional IRA or 401(k) plan into a Roth IRA before the age of 70½. A Roth conversion may make sense when you’re certain you’ll be in a higher bracket when you eventually withdraw the money, which is often the case once RMDs and Social Security are factored in.

Sources: Social Security Admin., IRS, Tax Policy Center

 
households spend about 10.21% of their disposable income on debt payments

Households Holding Less Debt – Consumer Behavior

The New York Federal Reserve Bank compiles data on how much debt and what type of debt households have. The most recent release of debt data shows that household debt as a percentage of disposable income fell to the lowest levels since 2002. Debt payments include loans on autos, mortgages, education, and credit card balances.

The data shows that households are seeing less debt payments as a percentage of disposable income. Economists view the recent data from different perspectives. Optimistically consumers may be scaling back on debt payments and thus have more free cash to spend on goods, services, or savings. Pessimistically, consumers may be in the beginning stages of cutting back on borrowing, thus reflecting less confidence in their future income and/or overall financial position.

Either way, holding less debt in a rising interest rate environment is good for consumers since they are saving on the higher costs incurred from rising interest rates. The most recent data shows that households spend about 10.21% of their disposable income on debt payments, a slight decrease from levels over the past two years. (Source: New York Federal Reserve Bank)

Leading Scams Targeting Seniors – Retirement Planning

The National Council on Aging estimates that nearly 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60 experiences some form of financial elder abuse. 

IRS Scams: Callers claiming to be IRS agents often call unsuspecting seniors at home, accusing them of owing back taxes and having to pay immediately. The IRS impersonators threaten to foreclose on homes, garnish social security, and even threaten arrest unless payment is made immediately by phone. The IRS never makes outing calls to anyone, all correspondence is done via USPS or the IRS secured internet site. In addition, the IRS will never ask for payment information over the phone nor demand immediate payment. 

Technology & Internet Fraud: Phone calls from individuals claiming to be from a major technology company target seniors. Callers ask for remote access to computers in order to gather sensitive data and financial details.  Pop-up ads claiming to fix pop-up ads many times are fraudulent advertisements used to gather credit card numbers and personal details.

Sweepstakes Scam: Unreasonable or ridiculous calls regarding a prize or major sweepstakes winnings.

Other Scams: Fake charities and relatives needing money. Be sure to review bank and credit card statements carefully for fraudulent or suspicious activity. If fraud is suspected, it is suggested to contact credit bureaus and relatives. (Sources: National Council On Aging, IRS.gov)