Investments

The year is half over and despite the stock market’s ups and downs, the total performance for the year is neither too good nor too bad. As of June 30th, U.S. markets were up, with the S&P 500 up 2.65% year to date. International stocks gave up some of last year’s gains, dropping roughly 5% year to date. And emerging markets, which had a stellar 2017 (being up 37%), gave back about 8% this year, primarily due to an appreciating dollar.

By Dan Lear

Conventional wisdom says that what goes up must come down. But even if you view market volatility as a normal occurrence, it can be tough to handle when your money is at stake. Though there's no foolproof way to handle the ups and downs of the stock market, the following common-sense tips can help.

Our lives include many types of recognition rituals, from the light-hearted—such as proms and school graduations, to the more serious—for observing coming of age, marriages, births and deaths. As a society we also designate entire months to acknowledge important values, commemorate historical issues, or address ongoing problems or concerns.