“My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Greetings everyone,

As I write this week’s letter to you, it would have been my mother’s 100th birthday had she lived. She was born Ruth Elizabeth Sauer on October 4, 1921, an only child. I was her first born of four children always remarking that she loved us all equally. But, of course, I knew she and I had a special connection, parent/child, and friend/confidant.

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I used the Ruth Bader Ginsburg quote above as it is what my mother told me, too, “Always be a lady and learn to take care of yourself, be independent.” I might have taken those words far too seriously as I look back at my own life. What I do recall so clearly is her total acceptance of whatever it was I needed to do; as a mother myself, fumbling my way into adulthood and surviving relationships and illnesses. I remember one time she said, “I’m so proud of you whatever it is you do . . .” I don’t think she ever really understood my career but was my enthusiastic cheerleader.

How blessed are all of us who have mothers and daughters with a bond that is so special. We encourage our girls today to be all they can be, to live life their own way while giving back to family and to community. We are daughters for a while and then we are the mothers of daughters and sons. What we model for them influences the generations that follow.

Tonight, I light a candle and say a prayer of thanks for my mother, my friend. Happy 100th birthday, Momma.

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Road Trip Anyone? Washington has it all.

From hidden waterfalls to secluded parks you never knew existed; Washington has gems all over the place to discover. Here are some of the many hidden treasures you’ll find fascinating.

• Spoon Creek Falls on the Olympic Peninsula. It drops over 70 feet in two tiers. Best time to see is October to July.

• Stehekin Valley, Near Chelan. You can get here by hiking in, flying in or most take a ferry. The scenic valley is hiding in the northwest end of Lake Chelan with trails everywhere.

• Congdon Castle, Yakima. It’s a 30,000 square foot stone castle occupied by a family – not open to the public. It has 80 rooms, 18 are bedrooms, a lookout tower and even an indoor swimming pool. You can view the outside.

• Port Williams Beach, near Sequim. It is a tranquil and often overlooked. Take a metal detector to uncover potential buried hidden treasures.

• Salt Creek Recreation Area, Port Angeles. It is tucked away from the main road behind a forest of trees. This 196-acre park, full of rock bluffs, upland forests, tide pools, beaches, and several places to go camping. T is said to be one of the prettiest hidden parks in Washington.

Did you know that Bucoda, Washington is known as The World’s Tiniest Town with the Biggest Halloween Spirit?

From October 1 to October 31 the entire town is transformed into a Halloween paradise. The town’s original name Seatco from “Tsi-at-co,” meaning “devil” or “ghost place.”

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Judith McGee, L.H.D., CFP®, ChFC®

Executive Vice President and Senior Lead Advisor

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In the Markets

LAST WEEK

A rally last Friday helped drive stocks generally higher last week. The Dow, the Russell 2000, and the Global Dow were able to post gains, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed the week in the red. Declines in the market sectors were broad-based, with only energy (5.8%) climbing higher. Growth shares fared worse than value stocks, as evidenced by the dip in the tech-heavy Nasdaq. While the federal government averted a partial shutdown, no progress was made on raising the federal debt limit. Investors also saw the prospects of inflationary pressures continuing as supply constraints are driving production costs higher. Ten-year Treasury yields rose 13 basis points to 1.46%. Some analysts suggest that a spike in Treasury yields may be reflective of investors' expectations that the Federal Reserve could start tightening its monetary policies as early as November. Crude oil prices increased more than $5.00 per barrel. The dollar continued its bullish run, while gold prices dipped.
Stocks opened the week mixed, with the Dow, the Russell 2000, and the Global Dow gaining, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 lost value. The dollar and crude oil prices advanced. Bond prices slid, increasing the yield on 10-year Treasuries to 1.48%. Rising bond yields could weigh on growth stocks, particularly in the technology sector, which generally has low dividend yields. Energy and financials led the market sectors, while health care, information technology, utilities, and real estate dipped.
Stocks tumbled last Tuesday on growing concern over the debt-ceiling impasse in Washington. Technology shares underperformed, pulling the Nasdaq down 2.8% — its largest single-day decline since March. The Russell 2000 fell 2.3%, followed by the S&P 500 (-2.0%), the Dow (-1.6%), and the Global Dow (-1.1%). Ten-year Treasury yields reached 1.53%, a mark not approached since late June. The dollar rose for the second consecutive day, while crude oil prices fell. The market sectors declined, with information technology (-3.0%) and communication services (-2.8%) falling the furthest. Energy (0.5%) was the only sector to gain ground.
The market yielded mixed returns last Wednesday. Consumer staples, health care, utilities, and real estate helped push the large caps of the Dow (0.3%) and the S&P 500 (0.2%) higher, while a pullback in tech shares dragged the Nasdaq (-0.2%) lower. The Russell 2000 (-0.3%) and the Global Dow (-0.2%) also fell. Ten-year Treasury yields pushed higher, while the dollar climbed to its highest level since November 2020. Crude oil prices receded but remained well over $74.00 per barrel.
Equities dipped lower last Thursday, despite confirmation that Congress passed a nine-week spending bill to temporarily avert a U.S. government shutdown. Each of the major indexes closed in the red, led by the Dow (-1.6%), followed by the S&P 500 (-1.2%), the Russell 2000 (-0.9%), the Global Dow (-0.9%), and the Nasdaq (-0.4%). The dollar and 10-year Treasury yields fell, while crude oil prices rose. All of the market sectors declined, with industrials (-2.1%) and consumer staples (-1.9%) falling the furthest, while financials, materials, and real estate each fell 1.6%.
Stocks had their best day of the week last Friday, with dip-buying driving cyclicals higher. Investors got promising news about a new COVID-19 medication. Each of the indexes posted gains, led by the Russell 2000 (1.7%), followed by the Dow (1.4%), the S&P 500 (1.2%), the Nasdaq (0.8%), and the Global Dow (0.4%). Bond prices rose, pulling the yields on 10-year Treasuries lower. The dollar slid, while crude oil prices advanced. Energy (3.3%), communication services (1.8%), financials (1.6%), information technology (1.4%), and industrials (1.4%) led the market sectors.
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THIS WEEK

Employment figures for September are available at the end of this week. While the jobs sector has been steadily improving, the pace of new hires has slowed. Since June and July, when more than 900,000 new jobs were added each month, August saw a job increase of only 235,000. On the other hand, earnings have increased 4.3% since August 2020.

Source: Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc.

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Investment Term of the Week

Thought of the Week

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MWM Weekly Update

The Week of October 4, 2021