Your Money

The bull market just hit its two-year anniversary, but it's not exactly throwing a party. The market has kept going on the idea that inflation will slow faster than the economy. Everyone's been hoping for a smooth "soft landing" where the Federal Reserve could finally ease up on those interest rate hikes. While inflation and GDP are holding steady in a comfortable 2-3% range, the stock market is starting to wobble, and bond yields are falling, making investors worried that the economy might be stalling out rather than just slowing down.

The latest jobs report wasn’t much help either. While the U.S. added 142,000 new jobs in August, which was less than expected, it wasn’t enough to scream "recession." Some economists called the report “soft but not weak.”

Meanwhile, the bond market is practically begging the Fed to start cutting rates. Investors are also dealing with a stock market that's shifting away from mega-cap tech companies, which had been leading the charge. Semiconductor stocks, for example, have fallen about 24% from their highs, and excitement around AI seems to be cooling down. Even though there's a lot of uncertainty, the S&P 500 is still only 5% off its July peak, so while things are shaky, the bull market isn't dead yet.

Bull market limps into 2-year birthday with soft economic landing in doubt and stock leaders failing
by Michael Santoli

Your Life

I just purchased a washer and a matching dryer. There is a warning sticker on each machine that states [in 3 languages] “Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.p65Warnings.ca.gov.” Whoa! Should I be worried? So, I did my research. Basically, it’s most likely safe to use the machines. The warning is required in CA and can be found on many items, from furniture to energy drinks. Businesses are required to inform Californians about exposure to chemicals that are known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The labeling started in the 80s when there was a large push for right-to-know laws focused on providing the public with information. A board of experts in California reviews information about the toxicity of chemicals and determines which could pose a health risk. A product containing a concerning chemical gets a label — though it doesn’t have to have a huge amount of the chemical in it. Because many products are sold all over the US, the warning label is placed on the chance that the product is sold in CA. According to Dr. Ellen Wells, an expert in public health at Purdue University, “The lowest level that would trigger a warning wouldn’t necessarily affect most people. But if a person is especially susceptible to reproductive harms or birth defects or cancer, they might want to avoid that.” In other words, you can use this label to make informed decisions about the products you have in your home based on your health history.

How Bad Is It To Use A Product With A California Prop 65 Warning Label?
by Jillian Wilson

Complexity Simplified

The Spring season brings about the growth and subsequent pollination of plants, so it’s generally a bad time for allergy sufferers. However, don’t forget about Fall allergies, too. The most common culprit for Fall allergies is ragweed, a plant that grows wild almost everywhere, especially on the East Coast and the Midwest. Ragweed blooms and releases pollen from August to November. In many areas of the country, ragweed pollen levels are highest in early to mid-September. There are other plants that add to Fall allergies, such as burning bush, cocklebur, lamb’s quarter, pigweed, sagebrush, mugwort, tumbleweed, and Russian thistle. While the timing and severity of an allergy season vary across the country, the following climate factors also can influence how bad your symptoms might be. Time to take your allergy pills or see your allergist if your symptoms are more severe.

Seasonal Allergies
source: ACAAI.org

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