Cybercrimes are on the rise. Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the ever-increasing amount of data that is available online to help them carry out criminal activity. They will impersonate, even manipulate phone numbers that they are calling from to appear as though they are legitimate.
U.S. stocks were tracking to another strong quarter through July, August, and most of September. At one point, U.S. stocks were up over 20% for the year. A late September swoon caused stocks to decline 4.6% in the month, resulting in a small negative return of -0.10% for the quarter.
U.S. stocks returned 25.7% in 2021. An exceptional year by any standard. U.S. stocks climbed the proverbial wall of worry. A new president. A resurgence in the virus and new mutations. A siege on the U.S. Capitol. Higher than expected inflation. Soaring energy prices. A global supply chain disruption. Labor shortages. Rising tensions in Russia and China. Rising interest rates.