Updates on the markets for the first week of February via LPL Research covers:

The SECURE Act is the most significant retirement plan legislation in 13 years, and many of its provisions are effective in 2020.  It affects employers who currently sponsor retirement plans, and encourages those without plans to set them up.  It also impacts plan participants, IRA holders and their beneficiaries, and expands the uses of 529 college savings plans.

LPL Research sees this year as getting off to a good start with 4Q earnings season, and details several reasons for optimism.  Read more. 

LPLResearch on its recession watch update: ”…While in later stages of economic expansion, we see little threat of imminent recession.  The current expansion is the longest on record, at 126 months, but the economy has grown at a slow and steady rate.”  Read more.

Fourth quarter earnings season kicked off this week with 24 S&P 500 Index companies slated to report results. Our expectations are for a marginal increase in S&P 500 earnings per share (EPS) on a year-over-year basis, based on current FactSet consensus estimates (-2% year over year) and the average historical upside of roughly 3 percentage points.

Delayed Gratification Pays Off:  The Longer You Wait, The More You Get 

Data from the Social Security Administration shows that 39% of women and 33% of men chose to start collecting at age 62. Just 5% of women and 7% of men waited to age 70.  Barring extenuating circumstances, being part of the majority claiming benefits early can be a very costly mistake.

Now that we have some clarity on U.S.-China trade and Brexit, in 2020 we expect drivers of stock market performance to shift more toward investing fundamentals. We also expect stocks to appreciate in line with earnings.

LPL Research sees better days ahead for bonds. 2019 was a baffling year for bonds, but we’ve seen some improvement in long-term yields. Bonds can still play a role in helping to diversify portfolios where appropriate.

It has been a rough start to the most wonderful month of them all, with the S&P 500 Index down each of the first two days of December. Don’t stop believing just yet, though.

We know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but LPL's John Lynch and Ryan Detrick ​are expecting consumers’ spending to continue at a solid rate through the ever-important holiday shopping season. Read more here.