An occasional sampling of what’s catching the attention of folks at Landaas & Company
Not only is patience a virtue, it pays. The number of Americans with $1 million or more in their 401(k) retirement accounts rose 27% in 2024, according to an article posted by Morningstar. Quoting data from Fidelity Investments, the article noted that 537,000 investors were 401(k) millionaires last year. On average, they were 59 years old and had been investing their earnings for 26 years.
Suggested by Blake Miller
Following a pattern of setting low expectations early in the year, Walmart Inc. disappointed Wall Street with its forecast while also acknowledging “a relatively stable macroeconomic environment.” The Washington Post reported the global retailer, considered a bellwether for business trends, struck a note of caution amid uncertainty.
Suggested by John Sandstrom
While the Federal Reserve has put a pause on lowering short-term interest rates, the new Treasury secretary has been talking about working around the central bank to try to lower longer rates, according to a report by CNN. By circumnavigating the Fed, the administration would not be directly impinging on the bank’s independence.
Suggested by Art Rothschild
After the broad Consumer Price Index rose higher than expected in January, the Fed’s preferred gauge – the Personal Consumption Expenditures index – should show less dramatic inflation, according to a Yahoo Finance interview with the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. (Indeed, the CPI rose in January by 3.0% from the year before, accelerating from 2.9% in December. The PCE was up 2.5% from January 2024, down from 2.6% in December.)
Suggested by Kyle Tetting
Stories matter. Analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that empirical evidence alone isn’t as predictive of economic recessions as a combination of hard numbers and softer narratives from the Beige Book, which the Fed publishes eight times a year. “The value of the report comes from the nuance of the granular anecdotes that Federal Reserve economists and officials collect from business and community leaders,” according to researchers.
Suggested by Joel Dresang
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