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BY: MARSHALL BARTLETT Senior Vice President / Portfolio Manager (615) 591-0611   mbartlett@argenttrust.com Announced this morning, the second estimate of GDP growth in the fourth quarter came in at 2.5%, one-tenth lower than the first estimate. Lower revisions on...

BY: MARSHALL BARTLETT Senior Vice President / Portfolio Manager (615) 591-0611   mbartlett@argenttrust.com Later today, the minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting are set to be released. It will be important to see if the discussion at the meeting...

Is budgeting hard for you? No problem. Stop budgeting. By Byron Moore, posted February 20, 2018 Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, February 18, 2018. Question: I keep trying to figure a budgeting system that will work for me. But...

Announced this morning, the Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) increased 0.5% in January, more than the 0.3% expected, and has increased 2.1% annually. The core rate, which excludes food and energy costs, increased 0.3% in January, also more than the 0.2%...

Markets remain in flux this morning, as futures have moved between losses and gains following yesterday when the S&P 500 fell 3.75%. While it is likely there will be additional market moves in the days ahead as traders cover their positions, it is important to...

Money Matters: February 2018 By Chuck Dudley What is a covenant? Literally, a "Covenant" is a contract. Other synonyms would be: agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, warrant, pledge, promise, bond, indenture, pact, deal, settlement, arrangement or...

Investment Outlook - Market Update by Marshall Bartlett, mbartlett@argenttrust.com It appears that volatility has returned to the markets, at least for the moment. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones fell for a second day, with the S&P falling 4.1% (113 points) and the Dow...

Announced this morning, the economy added 200,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%. Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% for the month and increased 2.9% on an annual basis. The strength in average hourly earnings is noteworthy,...

Tax reform is here. What does it mean for high-net-worth individuals? As we enter tax season, the real-world effects of the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 are becoming clearer for many taxpayers. Although there remains a great deal of detail to be...

Retirement goal setting – aim at what you require, desire and aspire By Byron Moore, posted January 16, 2018 Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, January 14, 2018. Question: My wife and I are setting some goals with respect to our...