Some Thanksgiving Facts

Transcription

1 David J. Klein Senior Vice President Financial Advisor The Auctus Group RBC Wealth Management Phone: Fax: Toll Free: website: November 20, 2017 Not what we say about our blessings but how we use them is the true measure of our Thanksgiving (W.T. Purkiser, theologian) Some Thanksgiving Facts When the pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, the Wampanoag Indians taught the pilgrims how to cultivate the land. The original Thanksgiving took place in 1621 in Plymouth colony between the European settlers and the Wampanoag Indians and was a three-day affair. The first Thanksgiving was the only Thanksgiving between the 52 Pilgrims and the 50 Native Americans and it was a secular event.

2 It wasn t until 1775 that the continental Congress made the first national celebration of Thanksgiving. Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, not the eagle A traditional Thanksgiving meal consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce and an assortment of desserts. But according to Edward Winslow, who took part in the first Thanksgiving, the original meal involved corn, barley, and fowl. Thanksgiving became a federal holiday in 1863 after a proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln President Lincoln declared the holiday to be the fourth Thursday in November. President Roosevelt moved it up a week during the depression in hopes it would spur more shopping. That didn t work out, and it was moved back to the fourth Thursday two years later. Since President Harry Truman, the White House tradition has been to pardon two turkeys on Thanksgiving Day. The National Turkey Federation has calculated that 88% of Americans have turkey on Thanksgiving. The average American reportedly consumes 16 pounds of turkey a year and Minnesota is the state that grows the most turkey. Only male turkey, which are called torns, make the gobble gobble noise. Female turkeys, known as hens, make a cackle noise. The Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in At that time, the parade featured only live animals from the Central Park Zoo. The helium-filled balloons were introduced in The parade began to be televised in The NFL began playing a football game on Thanksgiving day in For most years the Detroit Lions competed in this classic day of football. It was not until 1956 when fans could watch this game on television My Website: Go to the website to register and sign in to your account. If you have not yet registered, you will find the registration link on the upper left side of the main page. There is new material on the bulletin board and on the front page. Check it out! Year-End Planning; The Year End is fast approaching. On the bulletin board of the website is a Year-End Checklist for you to review areas of planning that might need your/our attention. Think about tax planning with capital gains or losses, gifting of funds, contributions to your 401K or IRA, when to take Social Security, future retirement planning, and other areas that require your annual attention. We are always here to help and plan with you. RBC Wealth Management is not a tax advisor. All decisions regarding the tax implications of your investments should be made in consultation with your independent tax advisor.

3 Key Statistics Year-to-date a/o 11/17/2017 Dow: % S&P 500: % Nasdaq: % Treasury Bond Yields: Year- to-date a/o 11/17/ year Treasury: 1.60% 2-year Treasury: 1.73% 5-year Treasury: 2.06% 10-year Treasury: 2.35% 30-year Treasury: 2.78% --Yield curve flattened as short term yields rose while long-term yields fell slightly Market: (Barron s, IBD, WSJ, RBC, MFS, IVY) For the week: Dow fell (-0.27%), S&P 500 fell (-0.13%), Nasdaq rose +0.47% Major indexes finished mixed on the week Markets slipped on fears of delayed tax cuts Bank stocks were notable losers for the week S&P 500 has now gone 62 weeks without a single day drop of 2% or more longest such streak since 1965 Oil fell about a $1 to $56.10/barrel Thanksgiving and the Markets: The final quarter of the year is historically a positive period for investors. The following chart narrows down the market to the week before and after the holiday. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Source: Bespoke Investors Group

4 Economic News: (Barron s, IBD, WSJ, RBC, MFS) US House passed its version of the Republican tax bill Loss of tax deductibility of state and local taxes is a major issue of concern Consensus forecast for global economic growth has risen to 3.5% y/y for 2017 and 3.6% for 2018 Job market looking better to most Americans International News: (Barron s, IBD, WSJ, RBC, MFS ) Europe experiencing its fastest growth rate in a decade Europe GDP rising 2.5% - faster than the 2.3% US rate, though our Q3 rate was stronger While Eurozone growth is solid, core inflation rose just 1.4% in October UK growth at 1.5% annually slower than the Eurozone UK Prime Minister May s leadership being called into question by her own party Europe s economic recovery robust with fall in unemployment Japan reported its 7 th quarter of growth in Q3 longest streak in more than 15 years Question of the Week: What is meant by an inverted yield curve, and what does it typically suggest from an historical point of view? (answer next week)

5 Question and Answer From Last Week: At what level of income is social security taxable for a couple filing a joint return? What percentage of that social security income is taxable? Answer: Social Security is taxable to a couple filing a joint return starting at $32,000 a year. Over $44,000 of joint income, Social Security is taxable up to 85%. Did You Know: China s economy is the 2 nd largest in the world behind the United States, but China s GDP per person is only $9,377 while the USA s GDP per person is $61,687. (IMF) Individual income taxes paid by American taxpayers would have to increase by +42% in order to eliminate our $666 billion deficit from fiscal year 2017 (Treasury Dep t.) Sports Trivia: Through week #9 of the NFL season, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers remained winless. In the last 50 seasons, only 3 NFL teams finished their football season winless. (NFL) Referrals: Many sincere thanks for your referrals of family, friends, and associates. I am deeply appreciative. THE WEEKLY UPDATE WILL ENJOY THE HOLIDAY AND RETURN ON DECEMBER 4 Sincerely, David J. Klein Senior Vice-President Financial Advisor The views presented here are solely the views and opinions of David Klein and do not reflect the views of RBC Wealth Management, or its officers and directors. Data is believed to be from reliable sources, but we make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness.. The Dow Jones Industrial Average covers 30 blue chip U.S. companies selected by the editors of the Wall Street Journal The Dow represents about 25% of the NYSE market capitalization and less than 2% of NYSE issues.

6 The Nasdaq Composite is a market-value weighted index that measures all NASDAQ domestic and foreign common stocks. The Standard and Poor s 500 is an unmanaged, capitalization weighted benchmark that tracks broad-based changes in the U.S. stock market. This index of 500 common stocks is comprised of 400 industrial, 20 transportation, 40 utility, and 40 financial companies representing major U.S. industry sectors. The index is calculated on a total return basis with dividends reinvested and is not available for direct investment. This material is based on data obtained from sources considered to be reliable. However, it is not guaranteed to accuracy and does not purport to be complete. The illustrations are for informational use only. RBC Wealth Management does not provide tax or legal advice. All decisions regarding the tax or legal implications of your investments should be made in conjunction with your independent tax or legal advisor. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.