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Shares of crypto-related companies Coinbase Global (COIN) and MicroStrategy (MSTR) fell Monday following a bitcoin price pullback after a surge this month.

The stocks retreated along with the prices of bitcoin, ether, and most other major cryptocurrencies on the last day of what has been historically the worst month for them. noted that even with Monday's declines, bitcoin should end the month with a 7% gain. It reported that since 2013, bitcoin has had an average loss of 3.6% in September and a 23% jump in October.

The news site also pointed to data from European alternative investment company CoinShares showing digital asset funds had $1.2 billion in inflows last week, the most since the week ending July 19. CoinShares said that the inflows were driven by expectations of further Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts after the central bank slashed them by 50 basis points (bps) two weeks ago. 

Markus Thielen, founder of digital asset management research firm 10K Research, told that bitcoin appears to be overbought in the short term, and that current signals have turned bearish.

Shares of Coinbase Global fell 5.5% in late-morning trading Monday but are up 4% this year. MicroStrategy shares slipped about 2% but have nearly tripled in 2024.

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Server maker Super Micro Computer (SMCI) announced a 10-for-1 stock split last month that will take effect after the closing bell on Monday.

Here's what you need to know about the split.

Shareholders will receive nine new Super Micro Computer shares for every one they already own. Their overall stake in the company won’t change, but the stock will subsequently trade for 10% of its previous price. 

In other words, if Super Micro Computer shares were trading at $1,000 before the split, an investor holding one share before the split would hold 10 shares priced at $100 each after the split. (Companies can also hold reverse splits, as some have done lately.)

Super Micro Computer shares skyrocketed early in 2024 to a high of nearly $1,200 due to surging demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. They traded closer to $600 when the split was announced, and closed Friday at about $419.74.

The shares have lost nearly half their value over the past three months, thanks in part to disappointing recent results. Even so, the stock is still roughly 49% higher year-to-date. 

The move would be the latest split by a high-flying tech stock, with Broadcom (AVGO) and Nvidia (NVDA) having already split their shares 10-for-1 this year.

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As the U.S. presidential election approaches, a majority of American investors are worried about how it could affect their personal finances.

The most recent MassMutual Consumer Spending & Saving Index report showed that 86% of those surveyed were concerned about the impact of the presidential election on their “day-to-day finances.” About a quarter of respondents said that personal finances are the most important factor in deciding who to vote for in November's contest between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

Most of the worries, according to other surveys and financial advisors, revolve around what a new administration could mean for retirement plans, stock market performance and tax policy.

"For those feeling concerned about the election, I’d encourage them to talk with their advisor to ensure their financial plan is built to last, regardless of who’s in office,” said Ayako Yoshioka, a Portfolio Consulting Director at Wealth Enhancement.

A recent survey by Wealth Enhancement showed that 80% of respondents expect the election to affect their retirement plans in some way.

Some investors are also worried about how the outcome of this election could influence how much they can rely on programs such as Social Security and Medicare and what the incoming administration would do about high prices.

Even though inflation has come down, prices of many goods and services remain elevated. Roughly half of all people surveyed said that high inflation derailed their plans for retirement, delaying it by 8.5 years on average.

Financial advisors fielding questions from their anxious clients are telling them that some turbulence may be expected.“While there is technically some type of uncertainty involved with elections, it's relatively short-lived,”  said Megan Gorman, Managing Partner at Chequers Financial Management, adding that advisors can help investors “tune out the noise and stay focused on long-term goals.”

Markets may temporarily react to big news, election outcomes included. Nearly a quarter of respondents in the Wealth Enhancement survey worried about how stock markets would fare after the elections and what it would mean for their portfolios.

Jamie Bosse, a Kansas-based CFP at CGN Advisors, notes that despite volatility in election years, the majority of the past presidential election years have generally yielded positive market returns.

“We’ve had 24 election years [since 1927]. And out of those 24, only four of those election years had negative [annual] market returns,” Bosse said. The four years with negative returns—1932, 1940, 2000, and 2008—included the Great Depression in 1932 and the Great Recession in 2008. 

In fact, according to a T. Rowe Price analysis for data going back to 1927, there's not much difference in the average annual returns for the S&P 500—a barometer index for U.S. stocks—for election years (11%) compared to non-election years (11.6%).

"We believe that investment decisions should be based on longer‑term fundamentals, not near‑term political outcomes,” researchers wrote in the T. Rowe Price analysis. “Trying to time the market based on short‑term dynamics, political or otherwise, is extraordinarily difficult.”

Both Bosse and Gorman have had clients ask them about the future president’s tax policies. And with good reason.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is a 2017 law that lowered income tax brackets, increased the standard deduction, and raised the estate tax exemption, among other things. The law is set to expire December 31, 2025, and if Congress doesn’t act, it could make taxes even more complicated for some people. 

Gorman's high-net-worth clients are particularly concerned with TCJA provisions related to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and the increased estate tax exemption. 

Catherine Valega, a Boston-based CFP at Green Bee Advisory, said she’s been talking to clients about considering a Roth IRA conversion before income tax brackets potentially change.

In this strategy, you move your pre-tax retirement money from a traditional IRA into a post-tax Roth account. You may have to pay income tax at the time you convert, but the money would grow and withdrawals would be tax free. Such a conversion can prove to be a tax efficient if you expect to face higher taxes in the future.

“Conversions are important to think about,” Valega said, adding that investors should think about questions such as: Do we do them this year? Can we squeeze them in next year? What do our tax budgets look like?

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Ever ridden an e-scooter or e-bike? The convenience, affordability, and flat-out fun of these "micromobility" modes of transportation are undeniable. But did it also seem a bit dangerous?

In fact, the rate of accidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters is climbing. Maybe that shouldn't be surprising given their dramatic jump in popularity. And then there's the way riders often use them: at high speed, near cars and pedestrians, and on roads and sidewalks that weren't designed for them.

Disruptive innovations, such as e-bikes and e-scooters, inevitably come with downsides. So, how can we minimize risks for accidents?

E-bikes, e-scooters, and injuries

Between 2018 and 2022, sales of e-bikes rose from around 250,000 per year to more than a million. E-bike and e-scooter rentals have also increased dramatically. As their popularity grows, emergency rooms are seeing many more people injured while riding e-bikes and e-scooters.

A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open highlights this. Researchers drew data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is run by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. They analyzed ER care between 2017 and 2022 for people injured while riding an e-bike or e-scooter, compared with people injured while riding conventional bikes and scooters.

What did the study find?

During the six-year study period, roughly three million people riding e-bikes, e-scooters, or their conventional counterparts sought care in the ER, including about 45,500 e-bike riders and 190,000 e-scooter riders, and about 2.5 million conventional bike riders and 305,000 conventional scooter riders.

Certain themes emerged around e-micromobility:

ER care spiked upward

More risky behavior

More accidents occurred in urban areas compared with rural settings:

All riders experienced similar types of injuries: scrapes, bruises, broken bones, and head and neck injuries were most common.

What are the limitations of this study?

This study only included people evaluated in an ER, so it excluded people with less severe injuries — and even those with significant injuries who didn't go to an ER. Some may have sought no care at all, or gone to a primary care practice or walk-in clinic to avoid costly ER care or for other reasons.

Nor did the study count injuries suffered by pedestrians injured by e-bike or e-scooter riders. Property damage, such as damage to a car, wasn't calculated.

And ultimately the study cannot compare the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters with conventional options. That's because no data were collected on the number of miles traveled using a particular mode of transportation, or over how much time.

How can you avoid e-bike or e-scooter injuries?

Ten common-sense precautions can help you avoid injuries and ER visits:

The bottom line

Whether it's part of your daily commute, an occasional quick zip from point A to point B, or just a ride for the fun of it, e-bikes and e-scooters are a great way to get around. Though they do come with some risk, you can do a lot to minimize the odds of wrapping up your travels with a trip to an ER.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing

The recent rate cut by the Federal Reserve, which is expected to be the beginning of a series of cuts, has raised fresh financial questions for everyone from economists to would-be homebuyers. Add Americans nearing retirement to that list. 

Will the economy stay strong, or drop into a recession? Will stocks rise, or get dragged down? Financial advisers say this uncertainty makes it challenging for clients who plan to retire in a few years as they contemplate their portfolio allocations, fixed-income strategies and what to do with cash.

Recession worries could weigh on stock markets, possibly making bonds more attractive as a source of steady, comparatively safe income  

“If the stock market does have a bear market, it’s likely because of a recession,” said Justin Waring, Executive Director, Senior Total Wealth Strategist at UBS. “As people are thinking about protecting their early retirement years against the risk of a bear market, it's very important that they get back to having the right allocation to bonds.”

Falling interest rates imply lower bond yields, and shorter-term bonds are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than are those with longer maturities. Waring is a fan of longer-dated bonds—those with maturities of 10 years or more—in this environment.

Georgia Lord, Head of Financial Planning at Corbett Road Wealth Management suggests bond ladders, which involve investing in bonds of staggering maturities and reinvesting funds into new bonds to offer some protection against changes in rates.

Waring recommends investing in municipal bonds in taxable brokerage accounts (which can be exempt from federal, state, and local taxes) and investment-grade corporate bonds and Treasurys in individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

Investors who are a bit further off from retirement, however, may want to stick with stocks for a while, some advisors say.

While investors tend to skew portfolios towards fixed-income investments closer to retirement, those a few years away can still leverage the high return potential of stocks, even with the added risk. Even if markets come under pressure, Waring said, pre-retirees with sufficient savings may have enough time to ride out a bear market without tapping their stock portfolios. 

A rate cut "would result in less income for bond investors moving forward,” Lord said. “I think that provides an opportunity for pre-retirees to look at their equity holdings.”

Yeske Buie CIO Yusuf Abugideiri recommends that pre-retirees consider higher stock allocations, which can help make up for an income shortfall associated with lower bond yields while potentially also extending long-term gains. That could mean moving from a traditional 60/40 allocation toward 70/30 in favor of stocks. 

“We appreciate that people are also living longer, and need to be able to protect their purchasing power throughout a longer life," said Abugideiri.

As rates rose over the past two years, investors piled money into money market funds and high-yield savings accounts. Experts now discourage people from keeping too much money in cash, especially those who aren’t retired yet. 

Extra cash can be allocated based on your time horizon and risk tolerance, said Lord. That means that if you have no need for that money immediately, you could benefit from locking in your money for three to five years in bonds or certificates of deposit (CD) before rates fall.Since pre-retirees are still collecting paychecks, advisors recommend having no more than 12 months’ worth of expenses in cash.

As rates fall, Waring said, “It'll become clearer to investors that the [current] yield is a bit of a mirage, and that they're standing on quicksand.”

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Maybe we should add toothbrushes to the bouquet of flowers we bring to friends and family members in the hospital — and make sure to pack one if we wind up there ourselves.

New Harvard-led research published online in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests seriously ill hospitalized patients are far less likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia if their teeth are brushed twice daily. They also need ventilators for less time, are able to leave the intensive care unit (ICU) more quickly, and are less likely to die in the ICU than patients without a similar toothbrushing regimen.

Why would toothbrushing make any difference?

"It makes sense that toothbrushing removes the bacteria that can lead to so many bad outcomes," says Dr. Tien Jiang, an instructor in oral health policy and epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, who wasn't involved in the new research. "Plaque on teeth is so sticky that rinsing alone can't effectively dislodge the bacteria. Only toothbrushing can."

Pneumonia consistently falls among the leading infections patients develop while hospitalized. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, each year more than 633,000 Americans who go to the hospital for other health issues wind up getting pneumonia. Air sacs (alveoli) in one or both lungs fill with fluid or pus, causing coughing, fever, chills, and trouble breathing. Nearly 8% of those who develop hospital-acquired pneumonia die from it.

How was the study done?

The researchers reviewed 15 randomized trials encompassing nearly 2,800 patients. All of the studies compared outcomes among seriously ill hospitalized patients who had daily toothbrushing to those who did not.

What were the findings?

The findings were compelling and should spur efforts to standardize twice-daily toothbrushing for all hospitalized patients, Dr. Jiang says.

Study participants who were randomly assigned to receive twice-daily toothbrushing were 33% less likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia. Those effects were magnified for people on ventilators, who needed this invasive breathing assistance for less time if their teeth were brushed.

Overall, study participants were 19% less likely to die in the ICU — and able to graduate from intensive care faster — with the twice-daily oral regimen.

How long patients stayed in the hospital or whether they were treated with antibiotics while there didn't seem to influence pneumonia rates. Also, toothbrushing three or more times daily didn't translate into additional benefits over brushing twice a day.

What were the study's strengths and limitations?

One major strength was compiling years of smaller studies into one larger analysis — something particularly unusual in dentistry, Dr. Jiang says. "From a dental point of view, having 15 randomized controlled trials is huge. It's very hard to amass that big of a population in dentistry at this high a level of evidence," she says.

But toothbrushing techniques may have varied among hospitals participating in the research. And while the study was randomized, it couldn't be blinded — a tactic that would reduce the chance of skewed results. Because there was no way to conceal toothbrushing regimens, clinicians involved in the study likely knew their efforts were being tracked, which may have changed their behavior.

"Perhaps they were more vigilant because of it," Dr. Jiang says.

How exactly can toothbrushing prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia?

It's not complicated. Pneumonia in hospitalized patients often stems from breathing germs into the mouth — germs which number more than 700 different species, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes.

This prospect looms larger for ventilated patients, since the breathing tube inserted into the throat can carry bacteria farther down the airway. "Ventilated patients lose the normal way of removing some of this bacteria," Dr. Jiang says. "Without that ventilator, we can sweep it out of our upper airways."

How much does toothbrushing matter if you're not hospitalized?

In case you think the study findings only pertain to people in the hospital, think again. Rather, this drives home how vital it is for everyone to take care of their teeth and gums.

About 300 diseases and conditions are linked in some way to oral health. Poor oral health triggers some health problems and worsens others. People with gum disease and tooth loss, for example, have higher rates of heart attacks. And those with uncontrolled gum disease typically have more difficulty controlling blood sugar levels.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing