Market Alerts

The market commentaries provided below are provided solely for general informational purposes and do not necessarily represent the views of the Bright Directions College Savings Program, the Illinois State Treasurer, the State of Illinois, Northern Trust Securities, Inc., Union Bank and Trust Company or any of its affiliates.

Investors should read carefully and consider the investment objectives, risks, fees and expenses contained in the Program Disclosure Statement (issuer’s official statement) before investing.

The following “Market Alerts” are provided by Standard & Poor’s.

  • Looking Back, Planning Ahead (January 2012)
  • Sovereign Debt: A Matter of Confidence (December 2011)
  • Finding Sources of Yield (November 2011)
  • Stock Markets March Together (October 2011)
  • Heightened Volatility: The "New Normal" for Stocks? (September 2011)
  • No Default, But Worries Over Credit Downgrade, Stalled Economy Persist (August 2011)
  • What's on the Horizon for the Rest of 2011? (July 2011)
  • Housing Prices Hit New Low: Is There a Bottom in Sight? (June 2011)
  • The Federal Deficit: Its Impact on Investment Performance (May 2011)
  • Dividends, Revisited: An Evergreen Strategy Gains New Relevance in Today's Market (April 2011)
  • Turmoil in the Middle East: A Look at Oil Prices, Market Fears, and a Fragile Economic Recovery (March 2011)
  • As Goes January, So Goes the Year? (February 2011)
  • 2011 - Annual Economic and Investment Outlook (January 2011)
  • Currency Volatility and Investment Returns: What's the Connection? (December 2010)
  • Of Politics and Market Performance: How the Midterm Elections May Impact Investors (November 2010)
  • When Diverse Markets Act as One - A Look at Current Asset Class Correlations (October 2010)
  • The Lowdown on Deflation (September 2010)
  • Financial Reform: How It Will Affect America's Biggest Banks (August 2010)
  • The New Gold Rush: Factor of Fear or Fundamentals? (July 2010)
  • Volatility Is Back -- But Is It Here to Stay? (June 2010)
  • Pain at the Pump? (May 2010)
  • Ready or Not, Here Comes Health Care Reform (April 2010)
  • Greece's Debt Crisis -- Its Implications for Stocks and the Broader Global Economy (March 2010)
  • Bracing for Higher Rates (February 2010)
  • Bidding Farewell to a Dismal Decade? (January 2010)
  • 2010 Is Coming. Are You Ready? (December 2009)
  • Dollar Doldrums (November 2009)
  • Change, the Only Constant (October 2009)
  • Emerging Markets - Are the Opportunities Worth the Risks? (September 2009)
  • The State of Muni Bonding (August 2009)
  • Taking Stock of a Lost Decade: What Does It Mean for the Years Ahead? (July 2009)
  • The Credit Card Act of 2009: A Victory for Consumers? (June 2009)
  • Housing Hopes: Is The Housing Bust Over? (May 2009)
  • March Madness: Too Early To Cheer a Comeback? (April 2009)
  • Bear Bottoms (March 2009)
  • Lost Your 401(k) Matching Contribution? Don’t Lose Track of Your Retirement (Feb. 2009)
  • How Low Can You Go? The Price of Stability in a Low-Interest-Rate Environment (Jan 2009)