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How charitable giving will change in 2020
The United States has been the most generous country in the world over the past decade, according to the World Giving Index measure of 128 countries. With all this economic uncertainty, high unemployment and market volatility, what will happen to charitable giving in 2020? Upon evaluation of COVID-19’s impact on charitable donations, we must consider several issues: Oftentimes, there is a high correlation between charitable giving in America and the GDP. Since the mid-1900s, charitable giving hovered around 2 percent of the annual GDP. That 2 percent even held true following the 2008 financial crisis when it only decreased to
Introducing the Waqf of Al Khammash
After months of investigation, research, and translation, we are thrilled to share the waqf (endowment) document of Sheikh Abdul Wahed Efendi Al Khammash (may Allah have mercy on him), great great grandfather of Azzad’s founder and CEO Bashar Qasem. Sheikh Abdul Wahed was the grand judge of the city of Nablus, Palestine in the 1850s. He set up his waqf, made up of income producing properties for the benefit of his family, under Ottoman law. The waqf is still active almost 160 years later. Azzad’s founder Bashar Qasem discovered the family document last year during a trip to his ancestral
Why you need a financial advisor in times like these
Conventional wisdom says investors should hang tough and ride out market declines. But a big plunge always drives plenty of people to the sidelines. That happened in March, when investors pulled a net $326 billion from mutual funds and other pooled investments, according to data provider Morningstar. Much of that money is still on the sidelines. Sometimes, it seems like investing is the only business where, when things are on sale, people run out of the store. Good investors should view market drops as an opportunity to buy, but as we see too often in our line of business, many
Market Recap: Second Quarter 2020
The second quarter of 2020 posted the best quarterly performance for stocks since 1998, with major benchmark indexes making sizeable gains over their historically poor first-quarter tallies. Much of the second-quarter growth in the stock market and economy was a bounce back from a dismal March and April when pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions virtually shut down the economy. Nevertheless, stocks rose as investors focused on favorable economic data and the possibility of further government stimulus, despite rising virus cases and tepid trade relations with China. The quarter’s performance highlighted a persistent theme that started when the coronavirus pandemic captured headlines:
Latest Blog Posts
How charitable giving will change in 2020
Introducing the Waqf of Al Khammash
Why you need a financial advisor in times like these
Fab five stocks are driving this market
Azzad remembers the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Think twice before speculating on a COVID-19 cure
Why going 100% cash is stupid
Statement of Solidarity with Black America
