Kendall Capital

The month in brief. For the stock market investor, last month was pretty lackluster – the DJIA suffered its first negative August since 2005, sliding 4.31% and struggling to keep above the 10,000 level. Volume was remarkably light and skepticism permeated Wall Street. It was widely agreed that the economy was crawling along: the impact of the 2009 federal stimulus was fading, and the government probably wasn’t going to ride to the rescue again. Businesses and consumers would just have to wait and hope. Yet as August gave way to September, some hope arrived: indicators showed an economy that appeared healthier than proclaimed.

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Will Things Improve for Medicare and Social Security?

The healthcare reform may lead to some short-term aid.

Could Medicare soon be in better shape? Maybe. At the start of August, Medicare’s trustees reported to Congress that Medicare should remain financially in the black through 2029, a 12-year improvement over last year’s estimate. They credited the healthcare reforms carried out by Congress and the Obama administration, citing greater efficiency that would translate to savings for the program.

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