We closed out the year and the decade on a burst of strength. December was a great month, and it capped a great 2019. U.S. markets were up more than 2 percent and, in some cases, considerably more than that. For the year, they were up more than 20 percent. International markets also had a strong year. In December, job growth came in much better than expected, continuing a trend that has more and more people joining the labor force. For the ninth month in a row, both income and spending went up. The housing sector did very well, and there’s a lot of confidence baked into that. So, December was a great handoff to 2020.
But, with an election coming up and the trade war a factor, how great are the risks ahead? Stay tuned to my latest Market Thoughts video to find out.