Junk bond yields have fallen to their lowest levels ever with the representative Bloomberg Barclays US Corporate High Yield Index sinking to a historical low of 4.56% on November 9th. While nominally remaining “high yield”...
Read More
Over the past 45 years, the S&P 500 has produced average positive returns in 11 of 12 calendar months, with April averaging the best performance and September averaging the worst performance as the lone negative month. The end of the...
Read More
A recent survey commissioned by JP Morgan Chase shows that consumer spending remains somewhat suppressed, down 5.2% through October, as large parts of the country are still hampered by COVID related restrictions. While lifestyle...
Read More
Nine months removed from the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and with financial markets creating new all-time highs, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) has recently fallen to its lowest levels since early March, only slightly...
Read More
With so much anxiety and concern regarding the upcoming election, investors are more worried than ever about what will happen with the stock market depending on which side wins. As the media can be very sensationalist, the truth is...
Read More
While both housing and non-housing personal debt loads in the US have climbed to their highest levels historically, debt as a proportion of disposable income has decreased significantly over the past decade. In April, the personal...
Read More
Americans continue to own more of their homes as the percentage of household equity continues to rise, with home equity percentages surging 6.6% over last year. The impressive upsurge equates to a rough average of an additional $9800...
Read More
Not all growth companies are created equal. The best companies in the world are those that are consistently generating strong internal cash flows and growing revenues. They possess pristine balance sheets and are well managed with...
Read More
The recent shakeout in tech stocks has lent downward pressure to the major market indices to start the month of September. The increased volatility that has accompanied the sell-off has many investors anxious as to how long the current...
Read More
U.S. economic data is beating forecasts and expectations at record levels. Citigroup’s U.S. Economic Surprise Index rose to new all-time levels this past week, more than tripling the previous high set almost three years ago. The...
Read More
Last Tuesday’s record high close of $3,389.00 for the S&P 500 Index represented a swift end to the shortest bear market in history. From its March 23rd low, the index has rallied over 50%, recouping all its losses in a mere 126...
Read More
The Trepp CMBS delinquency rate registered its largest decline since January 2016, indicating that many commercial tenants who were late on their mortgage payments have caught up and are starting to show signs of recovering. Borrowers...
Read More
The US Dollar suffered its largest losses in over a decade during the month of July. While this may serve as a boon to domestic economic growth and corporate earnings, it may also serve in increasing the odds of inflation. The US...
Read More
Initial unemployment claims rose for the first time in four months as the rising number of coronavirus infections have forced many states to halt or rollback their respective plans for re-opening. While the overall trend toward lower...
Read More
The market volatility index (VIX) saw its sharpest spike in a month last week alongside a significant drop in consumer sentiment. While the S&P 500 Index has risen over 40% from its March lows, the CBOE Volatility Index remains...
Read More
Gold has recorded five straight weekly gains and is up over 19% for the year as the in-favor precious metal continues its surge toward all-time highs. Prices rose close to 2% last week, settling over $1800 per ounce, piercing through a...
Read More
As the total daily number of passengers boarding commercial flights has started to increase from historical lows, airline stocks are looking to move past survival mode and return to profitability. While the numbers are trending in the...
Read More
While their stores have been shut down for business, many retailers have not been paying rent to their landlords. Over 40% percent of major retailers failed to pay rent in full last month due to the coronavirus crisis, according to a...
Read More
Both the US unemployment rate and the amount of initial unemployment claims decreased last week indicating the nation’s economy is recovering faster than expected from the coronavirus pandemic shutdown. The U.S. unemployment rate...
Read More
Although the stock market and consumer confidence appear to be telling two different stories, they are both an integral part of the same narrative regarding the influence of the economy and consumer sentiment upon one another at...
Read More
A quick google search on the topic of value investing returns countless results questioning the efficacy of value investing over the past decade. “The Death of Value Investing”, “The Case Against Value”,...
Read More
It was only weeks ago where the price of a barrel of US oil futures plunged below zero, an unprecedented and unfathomable demonstration of the quickly vanishing capacity to store the worlds vast crude supply amidst a global shutdown...
Read More
The retail apocalypse that began a decade ago with the widespread closing of many traditional brick and mortar retailers throughout North America is likely to pick up steam in the latter half of 2020 as a result of the devastating...
Read More
With interest rates at historic and unprecedented lows, the temptation to “reach for yield”, the propensity to buy riskier assets in order to achieve higher yields, is greater than ever. Unique challenges and constraints...
Read More
Insider Buying Soared in March While Markets Fell Famed investor Peter Lynch was noted as saying that "insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise."...
Read More
The timely expression has long been used to justify the influence of Fed policy on the stock market, suggesting that investors can do well to invest in a way that aligns with current monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board,...
Read More
With three coronavirus stimulus packages already passed, it may only be a matter of time before we see a fourth. As massive as the most recent $2 trillion package was, it’s possible that the next wave of fiscal stimulus will be...
Read More
Mega Backdoor Roth The elusive Mega Backdoor Roth is no longer a secret only available to retirement planners. Since the IRS released guidance that addressed backdoor Roth IRA conversions and the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA, it has gained...
Read More
The herd mentality in investing, and financial markets or “herd bias” is a common occurrence and one that needs to be avoided by investors at all costs. In this post, we outline some examples of what herd behavior in...
Read More
This correspondence is intended to summarize and share our perspective on how the first three (3) phases of Federal Coronavirus (COVID-19) stimulus measures impacts how RMR Wealth Builders, Inc. administers personal client and business...
Read More
As the coronavirus pandemic has brought the economy to a virtual standstill in forcing many businesses throughout the country to shut down, the number of Americans filing for unemployment claims surged to a record 6.6 million on...
Read More
With oil prices plunging to a 17 year low alongside the coronavirus pandemic, the markets are dealing with the simultaneous emergence of two black swan events, a vicious 1-2 combination that has the global economy reeling. When Russia...
Read More
While history affords us the hindsight to see exactly when and where each bear market ends, trying to do so in the present has usually proven to be inaccurate, unreliable and harmful. The end of the volatility and bottoming process is...
Read More
With two of the most volatile weeks in market history behind us, and with an unclear and uncertain near -term future, it’s important to remember and to understand the greater context of RMR’s long-term investment philosophy...
Read More
Coronavirus fear has raised the risk of a recession and a bear market for stocks according to Ed Yardeni of Yardeni Research, written in Barron’s online article posted on February 27th.1 The market witnessed a brutal two-day...
Read More
We have recently completed a full review of the RMR Pillar Portfolios for the First Quarter of 2020. The Quarterly Investment Notes are attached, detailing our reasoning for any changes and our market outlook. Fixed Income 2019 showed...
Read More
Do you have questions about when to file your 2019 taxes? We break down the 2019 Tax Form delivery calendar below for National Financial Services brokerage accounts. This calendar is helpful for clarifying when your account-specific...
Read More
We have recently completed a full review of the RMR Pillar Portfolios for the Fourth Quarter of 2019. Take a look at our Fourth Quarter Investment Notes below. Fixed Income Amid building evidence that trade wars are stirring up the...
Read More
RMR Wealth Builders is a wealth management organization that understands how complex the personal financial planning process is to most people. We believe our role in retirement planning for high-income earners is to remove the emotion...
Read More
President Trump announced last week that he was imposing an additional 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods entering the U.S. on September 1st. The news broke right after our Federal Reserve lowered interest rates 25 basis...
Read More
We have recently completed a full review of the RMR Pillar Portfolios for the Third Quarter of 2019. Take a look at our Third Quarter Investment Notes, detailing our reasoning for the changes and our market outlook. Fixed Income The...
Read More
RMR has had a busy summer so far, in and out of the office. Here are some updates around the firm from this quarter! New Hires We had two incredible new hires this quarter. Aiden Wright is a returning Financial Services Intern from...
Read More
As of June 2019 Balance is necessary for a successful financial plan. Unfortunately, many investors aren’t sure where to begin. There are simply so many variables to consider. Stocks, bonds, and rates. Oh my! With trade talks...
Read More
The following are true stories. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. Case #1 Group Benefits Debacle Several years ago, I worked for a firm that advised and provided Executive Carve-out benefits for our corporate clients....
Read More
RMR Investment Committee Every quarter, RMR’s Investment Committee looks at the current market trends and predictions to adjust or affirm our outlook. We look at a variety of factors affecting both fixed income and equity markets...
Read More
Thinking about Retirement early on in your career is something few of us spend any considerable amount of time doing. It seems so far off… Everything will take care of it self. In this day and age, you need to start the process...
Read More
RMR’s first quarter saw many fun changes and family additions. Here, we will update you on the activities we participated, the people who make this organization great and what’s on the horizon for RMR. RMR Family Additions...
Read More
There are many misconceptions surrounding whole life insurance policies. So, the question becomes: is Whole Life Insurance worth it for you? That depends on a host of factors. Here, we’ll explain when it makes sense to get Whole...
Read More
Often times, employers are faced with group healthcare rates that are generally not negotiable. This is typically due to the fact that there is no leverage against an insurance company regarding a group's actual claims performance or...
Read More
We’ve all heard it: your investments should be diversified. But what does that mean, and why is it so necessary as part of a stable financial plan? If your investments are not diversified, you could also over-concentrated in one...
Read More
New York City firemen are one of the few groups of people left in the country that will retire with an employer sponsored monthly pension. However, there are a lot of different avenues for additional savings from an FDNY salary, and...
Read More
Halloween Candy and Costumes RMR celebrated the holidays in style this quarter, spreading spirit and smiles within their community. On Halloween, RMR kept with its tradition and visited St. Frances De Chantal and St. Raymond’s...
Read More
Stuart Simchowitz has been named to the 2018 Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors! He joins financial advisors from 38 states and Washington, D.C. in being selected as one of the nation's 401 top DC plan advisors. It's quite a...
Read More
In an increasingly complex financial environment, several basic financial challenges are constants. These include planning and paying for college, purchasing a home, and planning for retirement. While the average American can expect to...
Read More
A stunning recent report from the Economic Policy Institute indicates that, "nearly half of families have no retirement account savings at all." Adding to this dire outlook for Americans and retirement, a GOBankingRates survey...
Read More
One of the most exciting financial trends over the past few decades has been an increased focus on using corporate and newly created wealth to support worthwhile philanthropic endeavors. Whether these efforts are carried out through an...
Read More
Saying "I do" marks the start of your new life as part of a married couple. But after the hustle and bustle of planning your wedding and honeymoon have faded, you may be left with some questions—and concerns—about...
Read More
Every one of us has a unique set of interests and financial goals. Finding the right balance of investments to help ourselves get the things we want varies from person to person. It is very common that we collect a variety of...
Read More
When it comes to investing, the importance of getting an early start can't be overstated. The time value of money means that $5,000 per year invested from ages 25 to 35 will ultimately compound to more than that same $5,000 per year...
Read More
When you're young and just starting out in life, you can often feel invincible. Few members of the Millennial generation have life insurance outside an employer-provided policy, and even fewer have disability insurance—perhaps...
Read More
The creation of a Financial Plan is an important step in reaching goals or getting to and through retirement. We often find that household financials become a collection of random accounts that lack coordination, are not being used to...
Read More
The Power of Prioritization The textbook definition of prioritization is two-fold. As a principle, it means doing first things first. As a process, it means evaluating a group of items and ranking them in order of importance or urgency...
Read More