After a not-so-great 2013, municipal bonds bounced back big in the first quarter of 2014.

• Municipal Bonds,
• State Funds,
• Taper

Bitcoin, the digital currency, is being touted as an alternative form of money. But does it stand up to gold as an investment?

• Bitcoin,
• gold,
• Quantitative Easing

The first quarter of 2014 wraps up Monday, and we’re still pretty much in the same position as we were back in December — looking for solid signs that the economy is on a path toward recovery and sustainable growth in the quarters ahead.

• economy,
• recovery,
• Taper

When Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen spoke a little too clearly on Wednesday about her expectations on interest rate hikes, investors rushed to sell, and markets tanked. But on Thursday, when several key indicators pointed toward an improving economy, investors quickly became buyers again and the markets bounced back.

• Federal Reserve,
• Monetary Policy,
• Stock Market

Investors in U.S. stocks have been getting solid, reliable earnings, but we question whether the price of those earnings still represents good value.

• Corporate Earnings,
• Stock Market,
• Weekly Market Commentaries