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Several people have asked me recently why the stock market is up so much (the S&P 500 is up over 5% on the year) when the economy is doing so poorly (there are 13 million fewer people working now than in February). So, while the movement of the stock market is unpredictable because it consists of billions of trades each day, each motivated by individual investor’s own needs and beliefs, here are 4 broad reasons for the disconnect:

My favorite Bond is James, not to be confused with the ornithologist(look it up) of the same name. And, while I treasure my bonds with family and friends, they are not Treasury bonds. So, while you choose between reading on or scrolling to the next cat video, here is why you should care what a bond is: You undoubtedly own some or parts of them and you should know what they are and what they do. First, let’s talk about you.

Our family started vacationing on Squam Lake in New Hampshire periodically when I was in middle school and my wife, kids and I have maintained the habit. In fact, we just returned from a week at our collective happy place where, this year, we had to dig deep to cope with a challenge unfamiliar to civilized society. Here is our terrifying story.

Interest rates on mortgages have flopped like a World Cup midfielder since the pandemic hit. According to Bankrate.com, the average rate of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders for 30-year mortgages is 3.15% while the average 15-year rate is 2.75%. So, is now a good time to refinance your current mortgage?

Although we’re all living through the same global pandemic, it has affected some of us more than others. By sitting on the boards of God’s Pantry Food Bank and the YMCA of Central Kentucky, I’ve seen how many in our communities are suffering economically. For instance, the need for food assistance in Lexington alone has increased almost 90% - many seeking help for the first time - since the pandemic hit. Similarly, as the Y never turns anyone away because they can’t pay – and there are more now than ever - donors’ contributions serve needs like helping kids attend summer camp and play in sports leagues.

Below are a few random thoughts from my own experience interspersed with some from friends. What about you?

The Financial Times reported last week that online stock brokerages, like E-Trade, hit a record number of account sign-ups in March and April. Rich Repetto, senior analyst at Sandler O’Neill (investment banking firm) commented that the stay-at-home mandate plus no live sporting events for bettors to wager on motivated many to trade stocks online. Whoa! Think about that for a minute. These people were so starved to bet on something, they decided to bet on stocks!

Last year I wrote what I called a “practice” graduation letter to my daughter. Now that she has officially graduated, sans in-person commencement, I reviewed what I wrote and decided the advice is still pertinent. Here goes:

Friends of ours are in the process of downsizing and would like to move to a different, hipper, part of town. (Not in Lexington) As they grapple with the details of freeing up cash for necessary work on their current home, look for a new house to purchase, attempt to decipher mortgage details and, maybe most of all, try to assemble all the moving parts in a sequence that avoids living in an apartment between houses, it can be quite stressful. Amid all of this I asked if they had ever considered renting rather than buying a new place.

What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?

Recently, a friend of mine told me she used to dream of being at home all day during retirement…until the pandemic forced her to work from home. Although busy, she is nonetheless bored. She now believes that dream was premature and maybe she needs a more thorough plan for when retirement arrives. Her story reminds me of the importance of planning for your post-career purpose, not just for your financial future.