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The financial market volatility surrounding COVID-19 continues at historic levels. The harshness of the decline, combined with a collapse in oil prices, along with ongoing downward earnings revisions, suggest the bottoming process for the stock market will likely take some time. The significant human toll is unprecedented and certainly the primary driver of the fear continuing to grip the financial markets. As we mentioned in last week’s comment, we believe markets around the world will be enduring a prolonged, difficult period of both upside and downside volatility over the next few months.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been roiling the financial markets since late January when it arrived on the radar screens of investors around the world. Last week, the S&P 500 experienced its largest decline since the banking crisis of 2008-2009. On February 19th stocks were at record highs, by Friday the 28th, U.S. stocks were down more than 10% from those high levels and down 8.6% overall for 2020.

Over the past decade the cost of higher education, including tuition, fees, room and board, rose at average rates of 1.9% per year at public four-year and 1.8% per year at private nonprofit four-year institutions . Expenses vary substantially according to institution type.

The financial markets in 2019 delivered some of the most productive investment returns we have seen in a decade. Last year began with a strong reversal of the steep decline stocks experienced in the fourth quarter of 2018, when it became clear the global economy’s growth was slowing. Counter-intuitively, despite this slowdown, stocks finished 2019 near record highs. Although we don’t expect a recession in the new year, we also do not expect the markets to earn returns close to last year’s results.

If an individual was born on or before January 1, 1954, is currently married, or divorced and eligible for a benefit on an ex-spouse’s record, once they reach age 66 (full retirement age) they may benefit from a restricted Social Security application strategy. Assuming they have NOT yet claimed their benefits. In the case of married couples, the optimal strategy is to have the lower-earning spouse file for their own benefits first, and then the higher-earning spouse subsequently files a ‘restricted application’ at full retirement age for their spousal benefit only and delays filing for their personal benefit until age 70.

After a robust first half of 2019, stock markets have been in a state of flux over the last few months and are becoming increasingly concerned about the slowing global and U.S. economies.