Episode 4: Who Is Going To Make Decisions For You When You Can't?:
A couple of months ago, we held a pre-retirement webinar that touched on five main questions to answer as you prepare to move into retirement. We're in week 4 of our series, and we encourage you to go back and watch our previous videos here. In this episode, we address the question, "Who is going to make decisions for you when you can't?" We hope you can find value in this video.
New Single-Family Home Sales Increased 16.6% In May
After three straight months of declines, new home sales came roaring back in May as lockdowns eased around the country. The increase was beat expectations, and sales were up 12.7% from a year ago. There was an increase in sales in the Northeast, West, and South, but fell in the Midwest. There are a couple of factors that have contributed to the rise in new single-family home sales. First, the affordability is increasing. Along with low-interest rates and relaxed lockdown procedures, the median sales price for a new home is down from pre-coronavirus levels. Second, buyers are looking at moving out of crowded cities into more suburban areas where most new homes are built.
Making Big Decisions In The Midst Of Uncertainty
In an ideal world, if we have a decision to make, we would have everything planned out where our blind spots are covered and the situation is ideal. In the real world, that simply isn't the case. In the last three months, Steve has had a couple of big decisions to make during the volatility. Click the link below to watch Barry and Steve discuss those decisions, as well as how to address life during uncertain times.
Wirecard Files For Insolvency
Wirecard, a German fully integrated, digital financial commerce platform, will file for an application to open insolvency proceedings with the district court of Munich after the company revealed that 1.9 billion euros of cash on its balance sheet had gone missing, according to CNBC. On Monday, Wirecard admitted that the cash likely did not exist. Wirecard has seen its share price fall from 100 euros last week to less than 4 euros on Thursday.
Play Ball!
On Tuesday, Major League Baseball announced it would return to action on July 23 and 24. The players will report for Spring Training 2.0 on July 1 and play a 60-game regular-season. While it appears Barry Bonds' record for most home runs in a season is safe for the year, there will be several rules instituted during the shortened season including using a designated-hitter in both leagues and starting extra innings with a runner on second base. Players will be paid a full prorated portion of their 2020 salary based on games played, which will be equal to approximately 37% for the full season, according to MLB.com.
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