Become a Board CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER™ and Thrive

Think Different – Be Different  – Thrive

[By Ann Miller RN MHA]

Letterhead CMP

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Dear Physician Focused Financial Advisors

Did you know that desperate doctors of all ages are turning to knowledgeable financial advisors and medical management consultants for help? Symbiotically too, generalist advisors are finding that the mutual need for knowledge and extreme niche synergy is obvious.

***

planning

***

But, there was no established curriculum or educational program; no corpus of knowledge or codifying terms-of-art; no academic gravitas or fiduciary accountability; and certainly no identifying professional designation that demonstrated integrated subject matter expertise for the increasingly unique healthcare focused financial advisory niche … Until Now! 

***

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Enter the CMPs

“The informed voice of a new generation of fiduciary advisors for healthcare”

Think Different

 [Think Different – Be Different – Thrive]

InfoGraphic

http://e.infogr.am/enter_the_certified_medical_planner?src=embed

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

So, if you are looking to supplement your knowledge, income and designations; and find other qualified professionals you may want to consider the CMP® program.

Enter the Certified Medical Planner™ charter professional designation. And, CMPs™ are FIDUCIARIES, 24/7.

Channel Surfing the ME-P

Have you visited our other topic channels? Established to facilitate idea exchange and link our community together, the value of these topics is dependent upon your input. Please take a minute to visit. And, to prevent that annoying spam, we ask that you register. It is fast, free and secure.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

***

Become a CMP

***

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

 Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)* 8

Become a Board CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER™ and Thrive

Think Different – Be Different  – Thrive

[By Ann Miller RN MHA]

Letterhead CMP

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Dear Physician Focused Financial Advisors

Did you know that desperate doctors of all ages are turning to knowledgeable financial advisors and medical management consultants for help? Symbiotically too, generalist advisors are finding that the mutual need for knowledge and extreme niche synergy is obvious.

***

planning

***

But, there was no established curriculum or educational program; no corpus of knowledge or codifying terms-of-art; no academic gravitas or fiduciary accountability; and certainly no identifying professional designation that demonstrated integrated subject matter expertise for the increasingly unique healthcare focused financial advisory niche … Until Now! 

***

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Enter the CMPs

“The informed voice of a new generation of fiduciary advisors for healthcare”

Think Different

 [Think Different – Be Different – Thrive]

InfoGraphic

http://e.infogr.am/enter_the_certified_medical_planner?src=embed

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

So, if you are looking to supplement your knowledge, income and designations; and find other qualified professionals you may want to consider the CMP® program.

Enter the Certified Medical Planner™ charter professional designation. And, CMPs™ are FIDUCIARIES, 24/7.

Channel Surfing the ME-P

Have you visited our other topic channels? Established to facilitate idea exchange and link our community together, the value of these topics is dependent upon your input. Please take a minute to visit. And, to prevent that annoying spam, we ask that you register. It is fast, free and secure.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

***

Become a CMP

***

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

 Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)* 8

Become a Board CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER™ and Thrive

Think Different – Be Different  – Thrive

[By Ann Miller RN MHA]

Letterhead CMP

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Dear Physician Focused Financial Advisors

Did you know that desperate doctors of all ages are turning to knowledgeable financial advisors and medical management consultants for help? Symbiotically too, generalist advisors are finding that the mutual need for knowledge and extreme niche synergy is obvious.

***

planning

***

But, there was no established curriculum or educational program; no corpus of knowledge or codifying terms-of-art; no academic gravitas or fiduciary accountability; and certainly no identifying professional designation that demonstrated integrated subject matter expertise for the increasingly unique healthcare focused financial advisory niche … Until Now! 

***

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Enter the CMPs

“The informed voice of a new generation of fiduciary advisors for healthcare”

Think Different

 [Think Different – Be Different – Thrive]

InfoGraphic

http://e.infogr.am/enter_the_certified_medical_planner?src=embed

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

So, if you are looking to supplement your knowledge, income and designations; and find other qualified professionals you may want to consider the CMP® program.

Enter the Certified Medical Planner™ charter professional designation. And, CMPs™ are FIDUCIARIES, 24/7.

Channel Surfing the ME-P

Have you visited our other topic channels? Established to facilitate idea exchange and link our community together, the value of these topics is dependent upon your input. Please take a minute to visit. And, to prevent that annoying spam, we ask that you register. It is fast, free and secure.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

***

Become a CMP

***

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

 Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)* 8

PAYPAL: Crypto StableCoin PYUSD?

Global Launch

By Staff Reporters

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Recently, PayPal debuted its stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), the first issued by a global financial platform. Stablecoin is a cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset, in this case, the US dollar, which is meant to make it less volatile and safer than other digital tokens. Stablecoins have been around for decades but haven’t taken off in the consumer payment space—mainly because regulators aren’t convinced of the stability promise.

But, PayPal asserts that PYUSD will “reduce friction for in-experience payments in virtual environments” and allow faster and cheaper transfers between countries.

  • PYUSD works for peer-to-peer payments, both for checking out online and transferring value among digital wallets.
  • The currency is redeemable for dollars and is convertible to or from other digital currencies that PayPal supports.
  • And soon, you’ll be able to send your tokens between PayPal and Venmo, making it even more convenient to send money any where and any time..
***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

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IRA: Inherited Rules Change

By Staff Reporters

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The Internal Revenue Service is allowing people who inherited an individual retirement account after 2019 to skip a required minimum distribution [RMD] this year, but most still must empty the account within 10 years. The IRS issued the new guidance last week.

There has been confusion surrounding the rules for inherited IRAs ever since the Secure Act of 2019 eliminated the so-called “stretch IRA” for most non-spouse beneficiaries. The old rules had allowed beneficiaries of inherited IRAs to stretch their required minimum distributions over their own lifetimes, permitting decades of tax-free or tax-deferred growth in some cases.

Under the Secure Act of 2019, most non-spouse beneficiaries must now empty their inherited IRA by the end of the 10th year following the original owner’s death. When the law was first passed, experts interpreted it to mean that all the money could be withdrawn in year 10 if so desired, said Ed Slott, CPA and founder of IRAHelp.com 

Yet in early 2022, the IRS proposed stricter rules that would apply to someone who inherited an IRA from a person who had already begun taking RMDs; in that case, the recipient must continue taking distributions on an annual schedule. In other words, if the RMD tap had already been turned on, Slott said, it couldn’t be turned off following the original owner’s death, and beneficiaries had to keep withdrawing every year and paying income tax on the amount withdrawn.

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DAILY UPDATE: The Markets and Economy

By Staff Reporters

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  • Markets: Stocks held steady despite a jump in bond yields (which typically sends equities lower). Gas station, oil prices continued their upward march.
  • Economy: Jobs Report at 8:30am ET today, as the government will drop the employment situation for July. It is expected to show a softening—but still healthy—labor market. Economists will be especially dialed in to wage growth for insights on the future trajectory of inflation. Workers getting big raises could put upward pressure on prices.

***

Here is where the major benchmarks ended yesterday:

  • The S&P 500® Index (SPX) was down 11.50 points (0.3%) at 4,501.89; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was down 66.63 points (0.2%) at 35,215.89; the NASDAQ Composite (COMP) was down 13.73 points (0.1%) at 13,959.72.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 11 basis points at 4.185%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.11 at 15.98.

Energy was among the strongest sectors Thursday as crude oil futures surged nearly 3%. Consumer Discretionary shares and regional bank stocks recovered some of their losses from the day before.

Utilities were among the weakest sectors, with the Philadelphia Utility Index (UTY) dropping near a four-week low.

***

ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

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Become a Board CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER™ and Thrive

Think Different – Be Different  – Thrive

[By Ann Miller RN MHA]

Letterhead CMP

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Dear Physician Focused Financial Advisors

Did you know that desperate doctors of all ages are turning to knowledgeable financial advisors and medical management consultants for help? Symbiotically too, generalist advisors are finding that the mutual need for knowledge and extreme niche synergy is obvious.

***

planning

***

But, there was no established curriculum or educational program; no corpus of knowledge or codifying terms-of-art; no academic gravitas or fiduciary accountability; and certainly no identifying professional designation that demonstrated integrated subject matter expertise for the increasingly unique healthcare focused financial advisory niche … Until Now! 

***

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Enter the CMPs

“The informed voice of a new generation of fiduciary advisors for healthcare”

Think Different

 [Think Different – Be Different – Thrive]

InfoGraphic

http://e.infogr.am/enter_the_certified_medical_planner?src=embed

CMP logo

http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

So, if you are looking to supplement your knowledge, income and designations; and find other qualified professionals you may want to consider the CMP® program.

Enter the Certified Medical Planner™ charter professional designation. And, CMPs™ are FIDUCIARIES, 24/7.

Channel Surfing the ME-P

Have you visited our other topic channels? Established to facilitate idea exchange and link our community together, the value of these topics is dependent upon your input. Please take a minute to visit. And, to prevent that annoying spam, we ask that you register. It is fast, free and secure.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

***

Become a CMP

***

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

 Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)* 8

US CREDIT: Rating Downgraded by Fitch

WARNING!

By Staff Reporters

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Fitch, the credit assessor knocked the US’ credit rating from the gold-standard AAA to AA+, citing the country’s growing debt burden and the “erosion of governance” (a reference to political standoffs over the debt ceiling).

LINK: https://www.fitchratings.com/

The last time the US received a credit downgrade was in 2011, when S&P sent it to AA+, causing market mayhem. Past and present US economic officials said Fitch was off its rocker for the decision. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called it “bizarre and inept” given the current strength of the US economy.

***

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***

PODCAST: The FOUR PERCENT Spending Rule with Challenge?

Still Valid or Not?

PLUS the “RULES of 72, 78 and 115″ Explained”

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

CMP logo

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What Is The 4% Rule? How Much Money Do I Need To Retire? - YouTube

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The 4% Rule is a practical rule of thumb that may be used by retirees to decide how much they should withdraw from their retirement funds each year; according to Investopedia.

READ: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/four-percent-rule.asp#:~:text=The%20Four%20Percent%20Rule%20is%20a%20rule%20of,account%20balance%20that%20keeps%20income%20flowing%20through%20retirement.

The purpose of adopting the rule is to keep a steady income stream while maintaining an adequate overall account balance for future years. The withdrawals will consist primarily of interest and dividends on savings.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

READ: https://www.financial-planning.com/news/kitces-smart-fix-for-the-4-rule#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20the%204%25%20rule%20is%20to,when%20it%20provides%20superior%20outcomes%20in%20all%20situations.

CHALLENGE: But, experts like Mike Kitces are divided on whether the 4% withdrawal rate is the best option. Many, including the creator of the rule, say that 5% is a better rule for all but the worst-case scenario.

***

RULES of 72, 78 and 115: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2020/11/22/the-rules-of-72-78-and-115/

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PODCAST: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=4+percent+rule&&view=detail&mid=5B0C2D1CABA12C7CF6075B0C2D1CABA12C7CF607&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3D4%2Bpercent%2Brule%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

***
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DOW THEORY: Explained

What is the Dow Theory?

By Staff Reporters

Pioneered by Charles H. Dow, one of the founders of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones & Co., and the publisher of MarketWatch, the theory states that if two stock-market averages, most commonly the Dow industrials and transport gauges, reach notable new highs within the same short period, then the broader market is likely headed higher.

It also was one of the first theories that sought to codify a methodology for prognosticating where the market might be headed in the intermediate future. For more than a century, it’s been a staple in the repertoire of technical strategists, who aim to glean insights through analysis of stock-market charts and indicators.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Dow Theory has lost some of its luster in modern times, especially as the Dow has taken a backseat in recent years to the S&P 500 and high flying tech-heavy indexes like the NASDAQ Composite and NASDAQ-100 critics also have lambasted it as overly simplistic.

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/06/23/the-technicians/

But proponents of the technical Dow Theory can still point to a wealth of historical data showing it generally works as a buy signal, especially if its broadened to include other indexes like the now-dominant S&P 500.

MORE: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dowtheory.asp

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GASOLINE: Prices Slowly Rising Again!

By Staff Reporters

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The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the US just rose to an eight-month high of $3.71, as per AAA. While that’s far below last summer’s peak of $5.02 per gallon, gas prices have been creeping up due to refineries going offline unexpectedly and higher demand for oil at a time when supply isn’t there to meet it.

Bloomberg Opinion’s oil guru, Javier Blas, notes that global oil consumption has likely reached a record high.

LIFESTYLE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/09/28/my-jaguar-mechanic-vs-doctor-story/

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U.S. ECONOMY: “Soft Landing” Humming Along

By Staff Reporters

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US gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a more-than-expected 2.4% annualized rate last quarter thanks to healthy consumer spending and businesses shelling out on investments. The latest figures show that not only is the US economy not spiraling into a recession due to interest rate hikes, it’s actually getting stronger as the year goes on.

In fact, underlying inflation rose at its slowest pace in two years. This could be a sign of the “soft landing” that FOMC Chair Jerome Powell seeks.

***

The European Central Bank also took it a cue from the FOMC and raised interest rates to a 23-year high. Investors think it could be the ECB’s last rate hike this cycle.

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But, according to CNN, Japan’s central bank kept interest rates unchanged today despite rising inflation but hinted that it could gradually abandon years of cheap money, sending the yen soaring and stocks tumbling. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said it kept unchanged its short-term interest rate at minus 0.1% and maintained its target for the yield on 10-year government bond at around 0%.

But the central bank also said it would adopt a more flexible approach to controlling the yield on government bonds — which affects borrowing costs across the world’s third biggest economy,diluting a key pillar of its longstanding ultra-loose monetary policy.

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After a historic 13-day winning streak, the Dow—along with the other two major indexes—closed lower as its dizzying rise finally succumbed to gravity. There were some strong individual performances, however. Meta kept its impressive 2023 rolling after giving an optimistic earnings report.

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DAILY UPDATE: Dow Falls Down!

By Staff Reporters

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The Dow slipped on Thursday, snapping a 13-day winning streak. The blue-chip index fell 237 points after being on track to close higher for a 14th consecutive session. That would have marked the Dow’s longest run of consecutive gains since May 1897. If the Dow had closed higher Thursday and Friday, it would have notched 15 days of gains, its longest daily winning streak ever.

But the index’s run was at historic levels before it was cut short Thursday: On Wednesday it notched its 13th straight day of gains, its best winning streak since 1987 and its highest level since February 2022. The Dow, up roughly 6% for the year, has rallied in recent weeks as cooler-than-expected inflation data has investors more optimistic that a soft landing, or no recession, could be in the cards for the economy.

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended for the day:

  • The S&P 500 Index was down 29 points (0.64%) at 4,537.41; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 237 points (0.67%) at 35,282.72; the NASDAQ Composite (COMP) was down 77 points (0.55%) at 14,050.11.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose about 14 points 4.002%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) dropped 5 points to at 13.32.

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ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283

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INFLATION: The Interest Rate Balancing Act

By Staff Reporters

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Whether we’ll see another interest rate increase soon depends on what happens between now and the Fed’s next meeting in September. Jerome Powell will be watching to see if consumer prices come down more than they already have, thanks to previous rate hikes.

There are some promising signs that the worst is behind us:

  • Tomorrow, when the government releases the latest personal consumption expenditures price index—the Fed’s preferred measure for tracking inflation—it’s expected to show the lowest inflation increase since the end of 2021. And last month, the consumer price index showed inflation fell to 3%, which is above the Fed’s 2% target but an improvement from last June’s 9.1%.
  • Meanwhile, Coca-Cola—whose prices were 10% higher last quarter compared to Q2 2022—said it’s done marking up drinks for the year, and the CFO of Unilever said the packaged goods giant’s price inflation has peaked (though prices may still get higher).

But the FOMC wants more: Chairman Powell said that for inflation to be truly conquered, the job market, which currently boasts a low unemployment rate of 3.6%, will need to slow.

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DAILY UPDATE: Dow and Fed Up but Markets Down

By Staff Reporters

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The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate another 0.25% on Wednesday, reviving its inflation fight despite a significant cooldown of price increases in recent months. The rate hike brought the Fed’s benchmark interest rate to a 22-year high of between 5.25% and 5.5%. Inflation has fallen significantly from a peak last summer, but remains at a level one percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%.

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The Dow on Wednesday rose for a 13th straight day, matching its longest winning streak since 1987. If it closes higher today, it would be a streak not seen since 1897 — about a year after the benchmark was created — when the Dow advanced for 14 sessions in a row. During this latest run, the Dow has outperformed, gaining 5%. That momentum hasn’t been seen in the broader S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite indexes, however. Both are up just 3% since the Dow’s streak began. The S&P 500 has fallen twice in that time, while the NASDAQ has posted three losing sessions

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended for the day:

  • The S&P 500 Index was down 0.02% at 4,566.75; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was up about 82 points (0.23%) at 35,520.12; the NASDAQ Composite was down 17 points (0.12%) at 14,127.28.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) edged down to 3.867%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) dropped 5 points to at 13.32.

***

ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283

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MENTAL HEALTH: The Parity and Addiction Equity Act?

By Staff Reporters

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President Joe Biden’s administration just announced new rules meant to push insurance companies to increase their coverage of mental health treatments.

DR KENT: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/05/26/dr-kent-may-is-mental-health-month-2/

The new regulations, which still need to go through a public comment period, would require insurers to study whether their customers have equal access to medical and mental health benefits and to take remedial action, if necessary.

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/06/23/june-mens-mental-health-month/

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires that insurers provide the same level of coverage for both mental and physical health care — though the administration and advocates argue insurers’ policies restrict patient access.

ACT: https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs-and-Initiatives/Other-Insurance-Protections/mhpaea_factsheet

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MARKETS & ECONOMY …. Oh My?

By Staff Reporters

MICRO-CERTIFICATION SPONSOR: https://tinyurl.com/5n7jxxzb

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  • Markets: The Dow is on a run for the ages, extending its winning streak to 12 days. But, Spotify revealing widening losses due to its failed podcasting investments and projected lower revenues. And its stock plunge came despite adding a record number of new subscribers.
  • Economy: All eyes are on the FOMC today: With another rate hike pretty much a lock, investors will seek Jerome Powell’s comments to see whether the Fed is considering any more increases.

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  • Alphabet, which declared a “code red” for Google Search late last year as rivals like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s AI-equipped Bing came on the scene, is chugging right along. Google’s search advertising sales grew to a better-than-expected $42.6 billion. And, most people haven’t made ChatGPT their default search engine.
  • Microsoft beat expectations on its top- and bottom lines and told investors that it had spent, and would continue spending, gobs of money to build out AI infrastructure.

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Snap. The social media platform just rolled out an AI chatbot, My AI, and boasted that 150+ million users have sent over 10 billion messages to it. But, still fighting against the likes of TikTok for ad spending in a sluggish market, Snap’s sales dropped for the second straight quarter, causing shares to plummet 19% after-hours.

Conference calls: Meta reports earnings today, and Amazon and Apple report next week.

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DAILY UPDATE: Google CFO and the Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Google Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat will become president and chief investment officer of parent company Alphabet, ending an eight-year run during which she helped pitch the company to Wall Street.

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended yesterday:

  • The S&P 500 Index was up about 13 points (0.28%) at 4,567.46; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up about 27 points (0.08%) at 35,438.07; the NASDAQ Composite was up 86 points (0.61%) at 14,144.56.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was little changed at 3.883%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.09 at 14.00.

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ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283

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IRS: “No More Door Knocks”

By Staff Reporters

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 The IRS will not come to the front / back door 

The tax agency will no longer make unannounced visits to taxpayers’ homes or businesses to collect payments due (in most cases). The IRS said it was halting the controversial practice, which has been around since at least the 1950s, to protect its agents’ safety.

Instead, the agency will send letters requesting that the taxpayer schedule an appointment. In specific cases, such as to deliver a summons or subpoena or seize assets, an unannounced visit may still occur, but there are only a few hundred of those each year compared to tens of thousands of the more routine visits, according to Reuters.

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Recession, Interest Rates and Earnings?

By Staff Reporters

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Recession: Last October, economists surveyed by Bloomberg were predicting a 100% chance of a Recession. But currently, the Dow is riding a 10-day winning streak, and the S&P 500 is just over 5% away from its all-time high. This week, Wall Street will be glued to the Fed’s interest rate announcement and a heavy slate of earnings.

Final Fed rate hike? The Federal Reserve will likely announce another interest rate increase this week, but this could be the final hike in its 16-month quest to bring down inflation. If the Fed hikes 25 basis points as expected, interest rates would be at their highest level since 2001.

Earnings galore: Corporate America’s A-list will report Q2 earnings this week, including Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Exxon Mobil. In all, about one-third of companies in the S&P 500 will give financial updates over the next five days, so we should get a good look into the health of a bunch of different industries.

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NASDAQ 100: Re-Balanced Index

By Staff Reporters

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The NASDAQ 100 is Getting Re-Balanced

Before the market opening today, NASDAQ shuffled the weighting of its NASDAQ 100 Index so that the biggest tech companies have less sway.

The issue is that the market caps of tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia have gotten so big recently that when we refer to “the NASDAQ,” we’re actually just talking about a few companies that hold outsized influence (even after the changes, Apple and Microsoft will account for 22% of the index’s weighting).

The re-balancing isn’t expected to have a meaningful impact on stock prices.

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DAILY UPDATE: Deutsche Bank, YouTube Health Initiative and the Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Regulators fined Deutsche Bank $186 million for not fixing anti-money laundering, due diligence, and sanctions controls. This is the third time since 2015 that the Federal Reserve has fined the troubled bank for internal control failures. (CNN Business)

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Under the YouTube Health Initiative, the company partnered with several healthcare organizations, including traditional health systems like Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Mass General Brigham in Boston, as well as online health education platforms like Osmosis and Psych Hub. Other partners include the medical journal the New England Journal of Medicine, the World Health Organization, and the American Public Health Association.

These health organizations created videos on a range of health topics, which YouTube curates in what it calls “carousels” and labels to indicate that the information comes from reputable sources. If someone searches for information on diabetes, for example, they’ll get a carousel of videos from the health partners on diabetes.

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended yesterday and for the week:

  • The S&P 500 Index was up 1.47 points at 4,536.34, up 0.7% for the week and the benchmark’s eighth weekly gain in the past 10; the Dow Jones industrial average was up 2.51 points at 35,227.69, up 2.1% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite was down 30.50 points (0.2%) at 14,032.81, down 0.6% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 2 basis points at 3.837%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.39 at 13.60.

Utility and health care shares were among the strongest performers Friday, which may reflect investors rotating into more “defensive” sectors, which haven’t participated as much in this year’s rally and may be seen as a “relative value” or “catch-up” play.

Energy stocks were also strong as crude oil futures jumped over 2% and posted a fourth straight weekly gain. Regional banks and communication services were among the weakest sectors, while the small-cap-focused Russell 2000 (RUT) fell slightly.

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INSTANT BANK PAYMENTS? The “FedNow” 24/7 Service

By Staff Reporters

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According to Morning Brew, the US banking system is about to speed up, potentially eliminating those frustrating waiting days it can take for money to hit your account. The Fed is launching its FedNow instant payment service later this month. The new system will enable banks to send each other cash instantly, 24/7, as an alternative to the existing system that runs only during regular business hours and often takes days to move money.

FedNow could put America’s banking system on track to catch up to countries like India and Nigeria, where high-speed payments are as common. The US does already have an instant payments system, but it’s private rather than government-backed, and it hasn’t been widely adopted. It’s mostly only used by big banks, and only 1.4% of US transactions happen in real time, according to payment systems company ACI Worldwide.

FedNow enabled services will soon likely appear at the 41 banks that have been certified to participate so far.

  • People moving money between banks or paying bills could complete their transactions in seconds without the need to plan payments days in advance.
  • Businesses will be able to access customer payments immediately and to send workers payments more frequently with instant direct deposit rather than the usual payroll cycle.

BUT … Faster payments could mean faster bank runs, too!

Some experts worry that allowing people to drain their bank accounts instantaneously could make SVB-style bank runs more likely. Smaller banks struggling with liquidity would have even less time to react to customer panic and get collateral for emergency government loans to cover fleeing cash.

But there are safeguards built in. FedNow has a transaction limit of $500,000, and banks can set their own ceilings to ensure that customers don’t pull their deposits.

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KING IS CASH: In a Tough Interest Rate Ecosystem

By Staff Reporters

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Cash is king, especially in this tough interest rate environment. That’s proving true in the mergers and acquisitions market this year, according to PwC’s US Deals 2023 midyear outlook, which says companies and private equity with cash in hand are making deals happen. There are “opportunities for corporates with strong balance sheets. Private equity sponsors with large amounts of dry powder also have been getting deals done,” according to PwC.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Deal makers need cash because lending has become tougher and more expensive to obtain. Additionally, “the IPO market has remained quiet for over a year.”

Even the private equity market, which often leans heavily on debt financing, is reaching for other ways to get deals done: “Some PE sponsors have turned to more creative financing solutions, including higher equity contribution, seller’s notes, paid in-kind financing and the private credit markets.”

The challenging market is also impacting deal size. PwC found that deal makers are eschewing big deals in favor of smaller opportunities. However, although the deals appear to be smaller, the volume of M&A activity is “relatively strong compared toCOVID pre-pandemic levels.

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MICROSOFT: Takes Over Activision Blizzard

FINALLY?

By Staff Reporters

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Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard cleared for landing

A federal judge rejected the FTC’s attempt to stop Microsoft from buying the video game publisher Activision Blizzard, paving the way for the $69 billion deal to close as soon as this month.

The FTC argued that the takeover would result in less competition in the video game industry and limit access to Activision’s blockbuster games, but the judge disagreed, saying, “To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content.”

While the deal still needs UK regulators’ approval, they also signaled yesterday they would let it proceed.

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Is the ARK Sinking?

By Staff Reporters

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  • Markets: Stocks are rolling following a week that showed our inflation emergency seems to be ending, and big banks are still raking in big profits. The Fed’s so-called “soft landing” scenario—getting inflation down without tipping the economy into a recession—is a distinct possibility, as long as corporate finances don’t end up being shockingly bad this earnings season.
  • Global economy: While the US economy is chugging along, the same can’t be said for China. Growth in the world’s No. 2 economy hardly budged between the first and second quarters, while youth unemployment hit a record last month. Expect President Xi Jinping to make moves to juice China’s stagnating GDP.

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Curiously, Cathie Wood’s flagship exchange-traded fund has rallied more than 50% this year. Investors are using that as an opportunity to get out. 

They have pulled a net $717 million from the ARK Innovation ETF over the past 12 months, according to FactSet. That exodus marks a notable shift for a fund that had consistently drawn investor cash since its 2014 inception. Once the largest actively managed ETF with nearly $30 billion in assets under management, the fund has shrunk to roughly $9 billion, mostly due to investment losses. 

Known by its ticker symbol ARKK, Wood’s fund became an investor darling shortly after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with hugely successful bets on unprofitable and “disruptive” technology companies. It took in huge amounts of investor money, culminating with a $6.5 billion inflow in the first quarter of 2021, when its share price peaked.

Then, the Federal Reserve’s fastest interest-rate hiking campaign in decades crushed the valuations of unprofitable growth companies, which often attract investors when interest rates are low and returns on safer investments such as CDs are minimal. Shares of ARKK plunged 67% in 2022, but its investors largely held on or bought the dip.

Now, analysts say they expect some of those investors are getting out for good?  

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/07/12/from-active-to-passive-investing/

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DAILY UPDATE: “No July SSI Checks for You”

Supplemental Security Income

By Staff Reporters

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Stocks popped 2% this week, as investors expect the Fed to soon pause or dial back interest rates after the release of the June inflation report. Central bankers have raised rates from zero to over 5% since March of last year, a move that led the S&P 500 to shed 20% in 2022.

And yet, No SSI for you!

DEFINITION: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a means-tested program that provides cash payments to disabled children, disabled adults, and individuals aged 65 or older who are citizens or nationals of the USA. SSI was created by the Social Security Amendments of 1972 and is incorporated in Title 16 of the Social Security Act The program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and began operations in 1974.

Individuals or their helpers may start the application for SSI benefits by completing a short form on SSA’s website. SSA staff will schedule an appointment for the individual or helper within 1–2 weeks and complete the process.

SSI was created to replace federal-state adult assistance programs that served the same purpose, but were administered by the state agencies and received criticism for lacking consistent eligibility criteria. The restructuring of these programs was intended to standardize the eligibility requirements and level of benefits. Although administered by SSA, SSI is funded from the U.S. Treasury general funds, not the SS Trust Fund. As of July 2022, the program provides benefits to approximately five million Americans.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

The Social Security Administration gives, and the Social Security Administration takes away — at least when it comes to beneficiaries who qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.

July is one of the months when the agency doesn’t issue an SSI check. Because of a quirk in the payment schedule, SSI beneficiaries get two payments in March, June, September and December, while no payments are deposited in January, April, July and October.

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DAILY UPDATE: Big Bank Earnings and the Markets

By Staff Reporters

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The biggest U.S. banks presented a picture of a resilient economy on Friday, with consumers and businesses continuing to spend and borrow even after a lightning-fast rise in interest rates.

JPMorgan Chase’s profit soared 67% in the second quarter from a year earlier and Wells Fargo’s jumped 57%, lifted by the income they earned lending out money at higher rates. Citigroup’s net interest income was a bright spot, though profit fell 36%. All three banks beat analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue.

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was down 4.62 points (0.1%) at 4,505.42, up 2.4% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was up 113.89 points (0.3%) at 34,509.03, up 2.3% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite was down 24.87 points (0.2%) at 14,113.70, up 3.3% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 7 basis points at 3.828%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.29 at 13.32.

Energy shares were among the weakest performers Friday after crude oil futures retreated nearly 2% from 2½-month highs posted Thursday. Regional banks were also lower despite stronger-than-expected quarterly results from their larger peers.

Health care and Consumer Staples were among the strongest performers. The U.S. dollar gained slightly but remained near a 17-month low against the euro.

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ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Risk-Management-Liability-Insurance-and-Asset-Protection-Strategies-for/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781498725989

ORDER: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283

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BUSTED: Bank of America as Inflation Cools?

By Staff Reporters

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BofA must refund $100 million to customers, pay $90 million in penalties to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and $60 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. “Bank of America wrongfully withheld credit card rewards, double-dipped on fees, and opened accounts without consent,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, in a statement.

“These practices are illegal and undermine customer trust.”

Combined, it is one of the highest financial penalties in years against Bank of America, which has largely spent the last 15 years trying to clean up its reputation and market itself to the public as a bank focused on financial health and not on overdraft fee income and financial trickery.

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The latest reading ion core inflation indicates a notable cool-down in June but still exceeds the Federal Reserve’s inflation target of 2%.

Data just released exceeded the expectations of economists surveyed by Bloomberg, who expected inflation to have fallen to 3.1% in June. Inflation rose a modest 0.2% on a monthly basis, accelerating from a 0.1% increase in May. Despite the encouraging report, core inflation — which strips out volatile food and energy prices — rose 4.8%.

Food prices, meanwhile, continued to accelerate faster than overall inflation, rising 5.7% in June compared to a year ago. and, the price of flour rose about 12% in June compared to a year ago, roughly quadruple of the overall inflation rate; while the price of bakery products rose 9.5% over that period and the price of cookies rose nearly 9%.

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APPLE: What is its Corporate Value

AS INVESTORS – HOW DO WE EVALUATE FINANCIAL RISK?

By Vitaliy Katsenelson CFA

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READ: https://vitaliy.substack.com/p/what-is-the-value-of-apple-how-do?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

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CAVA: Rises Post-IPO

By Staff Reporters

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  • Markets: Investors shook off last week’s post-holiday blues with all three major indexes snapping three-day losing streaks yesterday, embracing a new outlook as they wait for more economic data and a new earnings season to start this week.
  • CAVA rose as analysts got their first chance to comment on the lunch spot since its IPO and were largely bullish on the bowl-maker—it’s already nearly doubled since its market debut last month.

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Earnings Season is Back!

By Staff Reporters

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Miss seeing terms like “adjusted profits” and “forward guidance” in the ME-P?

They’re coming back as earnings season got underway on Friday with big banks reporting. Tech companies, in particular, will have to impress to justify their expensive share prices.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Also on the economic calendar is June’s inflation report.

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