Greetings Everyone,
Monday, January 17th was Martin Luther King Day, a day of service and remembrance. Sarah Berry shares the World Arts Foundation Inc. link below from their program Keep Alive The Dream. This year it was broadcasted on PBS. This historical film directed by Elijah Hasan documents African American communities in Oregon honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since 1978, the World Arts Foundation has hosted an annual Martin Luther King tribute event.

On Sunday in Lake Oswego, Martin Luther King was honored by the city and local organizations with a silent march; the event also included speakers and music.

Financial Planning – 2022 IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Every year there are changes in retirement plan numbers. The chart below will help guide you regarding retirement plans, traditional IRA and Roth IRA contributions, Traditional IRA deductibility and education tax credit incentives. Also listed is the Uniform Lifetime Table for (RMD) calculations. Estate gift exclusions are now at $12,060,000 currently.
Health Savings Accounts can be useful preretirement as well as a great help in offsetting qualified medical expenses once retired. Ask us for a PDF of this information or a printed copy if you find it useful.

Willamette Falls – Oregon History and The Legacy Project

Linette and I took a drive south along 99E and stopped at the roadside view just south of the tunnel coming from Oregon City. This picture below was our view of Willamette Falls. Sometimes it is refreshing to pause in our day and appreciate the beauty right in front of us. This place is breathtaking, but it is also the seat of history for Oregon.

For centuries, Willamette Falls has been a significant cultural, fishing and gathering place for Native American Tribes. Can you imagine that Lewis and Clark would have met these natives who lives here in the early 1800s? There will be many changes to the river with the Willamette Falls Legacy Project building a public river walk for all to enjoy.

Did you know that this was the final destination for westward settlers, the end of the Oregon Trail? It was also the first site of the world’s first long-distance electrical power transmission line, from Oregon City to Portland. Willamette Falls is the second largest falls in the United States by volume only surpassed by Niagara Falls.

Here I discovered a historical video you might enjoy. Willamette Falls – Where the Future Began, produced by Portland General Electric

Photo by Linette Dobbins

Thank you for opening these emails and letting us share resources, community news, personal stories, and financial planning highlights. Let us know if you’ve got something special to share with us and we can include it.

Judith McGee, L.H.D., CFP®, ChFC®
Executive Vice President and Senior Lead Advisor

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In the Markets

LAST WEEK

Equities closed generally lower last week, with only the Global Dow ending the week in the black. Inflation, or more likely the Federal Reserve's response to rising prices, may have influenced investors. Markets are still adjusting to the anticipated tighter monetary policy from the Fed, which is planning on raising interest rates several times this year. The central bank is also considering reducing the size of its balance sheet, which means less demand for bonds. Ten-year Treasury yields ended the week flat. The dollar dipped lower, while crude oil prices rose nearly 7.0%, reaching $84.23 per barrel. Gold advanced, but remains marginally below its 2021 year-end price.
Stocks continued their slide last Monday, despite a marginal surge in tech shares. Several of the major indexes declined, with the Dow (-0.5%), the S&P 500 (-0.1%), the Russell 2000 (-0.4%), and the Global Dow (-0.2%) ending the day in the red. Only the Nasdaq was able to close ahead, but only by 0.1%. The Federal Reserve's monetary policy in response to rising inflation continued to dominate the market. Ten-year Treasury yields climbed higher as bond prices fell. Crude oil prices dropped to $78.43 per barrel. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. Health care, communication services, and information technology were the only market sectors to advance.
Last Tuesday saw stocks rebound after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that the Fed would do whatever is needed to control rising inflation. Tech stocks followed Monday's increase with another strong performance, sending the Nasdaq up 1.4% on the day. The Russell 2000 jumped 1.1%, followed by the S&P 500 and the Global Dow (0.9%), and the Dow (0.5%). The dollar and 10-year Treasury yields fell, while crude oil prices rose to $81.42 per barrel. Energy, materials, communication services, and information technology led the market sectors.
Stocks closed last Wednesday generally higher, despite rising inflation. The major benchmark indexes posted gains, with the S&P 500 (0.3%) and the Nasdaq (0.2%) finishing ahead of the Dow (0.1%). Only the Russell 2000 failed to add value, closing down 0.5%. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% in December, ending 2021 with its largest annual increase in nearly 40 years, increasing the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will move to quell inflationary pressures. Ten-year Treasury yields dipped lower, as did the dollar. Crude oil prices rose to $82.70 per barrel.
The Nasdaq dropped 2.5% last Thursday amid tech stock losses. With the growing likelihood that interest rates will be rising soon, investors may be moving from growth shares to value stocks. Also last Thursday, investors saw an increase in weekly unemployment claims and wholesale price inflation. The S&P 500 fell 1.4%, the Russell 2000 dipped 0.8%, and the Dow slipped 0.5%. The Global Dow inched up 0.1%. Ten-year Treasury yields, the dollar, and crude oil prices slid lower. Consumer discretionary and information technology declined more than 2.0%.
Stocks were mixed last Friday, with the Nasdaq (0.6%), the Russell 2000 (0.1%), and the S&P 500 (0.1%) ending the day higher, while the Dow (-0.6%) and the Global Dow (-0.2%) closed lower. Crude oil prices, the dollar, and 10-year Treasuries climbed higher on the day. Fourth-quarter earnings reports from a few major banks were released last week, with mixed results. A slew of banks and financial companies will be reporting their fourth-quarter earnings data this week.

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THIS WEEK

This week's economic news focuses on the housing sector, with the December data on housing starts and existing home sales. The number of building permits rose 3.6% in November, while housing starts jumped 11.8% — both signs that new home construction is on the upswing. Sales of existing homes have also been on the rise since September 2021. November saw existing home sales increase 1.9%, another indication that the demand for housing is solid.

Source: Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc.

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Articles & Education

Market Update – September 14, 2022

- Read More -

Women: How to Slay Your Money Dragons at Any Age

Our female advisors discuss best practices for gaining financial independence through the various phases of a woman’s life.

- Read More -

Investment Term of the Week

Thought of the Week

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MWM Weekly Update

The Week of January 17, 2022