•Well, look who is saving money.
If you thought that Millennials were just snotty nosed kids with no social graces and only focused on all things hand-held, you may be right. But you’d also be missing something: Turns out these 18-34 year-olds are good savers.
According to a recent NerdWallet survey of 2,000 folks, Millennial parents are contributing 10% of their income to—drum roll please—-retirement savings.
Compare that to Generation X people (aged 35 to 54) are saving 8% of their income for retirement and working Baby Boomers (55 and older) only 5%.
Maybe financial literacy does pay off.
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Market Quick Glance
Clearly the market hasn’t had enough of a running bull as it’s been another week of the closing at new high records on the indices followed below.
As was the case at the end of September, the Russell 2000 has been the index to play—up again rewarding believers in it more than they may have ever expected.
Where and when the bears will appear on Wall Street continues to be anybody’s guess. But what isn’t guess-related is how the stocks, funds and investments in your portfolio have performed so far this year. It is going to be year-end before we know it and one of the most rewarding gifts one can give to one, is profit taking.
On that note, below are the weekly and 1-year index performance results— including the dates each reached new highs—according to CNBC.com based on prices at the close of business on Friday, October 6, 2017.
-DJIA +15.24% YTD up a heap from last week’s 13.37%.
- 1 yr Rtn +24.66% up from last week’s 23.49%
And a new all-time high for the DJIA was reached on October 5, 2017 of 22,777.04.
The previous high of 22,419.51 was reached on Sept. 21, 2017.
On March 1, the Dow stood at 21,169.11.
-S&P 500 +13.87% YTD up from last week’s 12,53%.
- 1yr Rtn +17.98% up from last week’s +17.12%
The S&P 500 reached a new high of 2,552.51 on October 5, 2017.
The previous high of 2,519,44 was reached on September 29, 2017.
On March 1, 2017, that index stood at 2,400.98.
-NASDAQ +22.42% YTD up a heap from last week’s +20.67%.
- 1yr Rtn +24.18% up from last week’s 23.28%
The Nasdaq reached a new all-time high of 6,590.18 on October 6, 2017.
Its previous high of 6,497.98 was reached on September 29, 2017.
On April 5, 2017 the index closed at 5,936.39.
-Russell 2000 +11.28% YTD up a heap from last week’s +9.85%.
- 1yr Rtn +21.18% up considerably from last week’s +20.45%
The Russell 2000 reached a new all-time high of 1,514.94 on October 5, 2017.
Its previous high of 1493.56 was reached on September 29, 2017.
On March 1, 2017 this index stood at 1,414,82.
-Mutual funds
And once again, mutual fund average performance figures continue upward.
For the week ending Thursday, October 5, 2017, the year-to-date average cumulative total reinvested return for equity funds falling under the broad U.S. Diversified Equity Funds heading was 13.65, according to Lipper. That’s up enough to notice from the previous week’s figure of 11.86%.
Briefly, it’s been a growth year for all types of growth funds including large-cap, large-cap core, all varieties of mid- and multi-cap growth funds and the same for small-cap funds.
That said, one of these weeks the tide will turn and value will wind up being the place to have some money invested. While that day isn’t today, value funds have way outperformed the kind of measly return folks have gotten on their money market funds, in their savings accounts and bond funds.
For instance, Large- and Multi-Cap Value funds were both up on average well over 10% year to date. Nothing to whine about there. Additionally, Mid-Cap Value funds were up on average 8.42% and Small-Cap Value funds up 6.58%.
Visit www.allaboutfunds.com for more information about how various equity and fixed-income funds have rewarded investors over the short-and long-term, based upon Lipper data. Short-term meaning weekly and monthly performance returns; longer-term includes quarterly, year-to-date, 1-yr, 2-yr, 3-yr and 5-yr returns.
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Airline fees sky-high
Once upon a time, flying used to be a lot of fun. People dressed up to fly. Full meals were served in coach. Seats were comfy with plenty of leg room and the width to accommodate most butts. But, as we all know butt size has changed and so has everything else about air travel.
In addition to security measures all travelers have to endure before boarding flights, there are restrictions regarding luggage, etc.
All of which has made flying more uncomfortable for everyone and more profitable for the airline industry. I find that shameful as it represents a long-term trend in America that has put corporate profits way ahead of the quality of the products offered.
Worse yet, it’s costing all of us more to fly as the bundles of bucks the airline industry now brings in is coming from all of the ancillary fees charged. Like those for ticket fees, baggage fees, etc.
According to a piece on travel guru Peter Greenberg’s travel blog, PeterGreenberg.com, “ten years ago the airlines generated about $2.1 billion in ancillary fees….Today that airlines have racked up $28 billion in fees—-more than they profit from actually flying the planes or operating as airlines.”
Again, that’s shameful.
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allaboutfundsdotcom 