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Kicking off 🏈

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On kickoff day of this year’s football season, we witnessed that the pros, just like us, sometimes struggle to get back into the game (even one with a recently inked $55 million annual contract). But the season is young, and there’s plenty of time to change tack. 'Tis a season of possibilities – from streaming services to soft landings.

Capital markets perspective: Agree to disagree

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It’s inflation week. We’ll get the latest read on inflation at the consumer level on Wednesday, followed a day later by the inflation at the wholesale level. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has admitted that these will be primary inputs into the FOMC’s decision on rates later this month. 

August market recap

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Stocks and bonds retreated in August as comments from Fed members suggested a bias toward another possible rate hike or at least keeping rates elevated longer. Help inform your financial plan with a quick recap of the news you need to know about last month's economy and financial markets.

Diamond in the rough 💎

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Diamonds are forever. Their market value, on the other hand, isn't set in stone. Thanks in part to the growing popularity of lab-produced diamonds, the cost of natural, rough cut diamonds was down to $850 per carat in July from $1,400 in June of last year. Read on for the top news nuggets of the week and a few gems of financial insight.

Spice things up ☕

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Ready or not: Pumpkin-spice-everything is back. U.S. retail sales of pumpkin-flavored products bibbidi-bobbidi-boomed to $803 million for the 52-week period through July 2023 – up nearly 15% from the prior year. 

The basics of brokerage accounts

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With a brokerage account, you can buy and sell assets on the stock market. Learn how the process works and whether this investment account may be right for your financial situation.

Slice of life 🍋

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There’s only a few more weeks of summer left, so make sure to squeeze in a quick flight or last-minute road trip while you still can. For those with a zest for the finer things, we’re peeling back the latest luxe headlines for a closer look. 

What is the average net worth by state?

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Tracking your net worth is a common way to gauge your financial health. Here's a benchmark of the average and median net worth of people who use the free Empower Personal DashboardTM, broken down by state.

Capital markets perspective: Further evidence required

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Fed officials are on watch for evidence that the economy might be reverting to its old inflationary tendencies. They almost certainly didn’t find reassurances in last week’s retail sales report, which showed that U.S. consumers are still in a spending mood.