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If you're like many Americans, the stock market has been the least of your concerns recently. Between a global pandemic and extreme economic uncertainty, there are much more important matters to be concerned with. In fact, many of you are likely avoiding looking at your investment statements because the decline (which isn't a bad idea). For those who have been watching the stock market, you may have noticed that stocks increased fairly substantially in April, with the S&P 500 up over 14%. But what exactly does this mean? Are we out of the woods, at least financially? Should you alter your investment strategy? These are important questions many investors are asking right now.

Who isn't stressed these days? Between the economic uncertainty and a global pandemic there is a lot to keep you up at night. That's why it's so important to find ways to reduce stress any way you can. If you're having trouble taking care of yourself, it only makes it that much hard to attend to your finances as well. Here are some simple ideas for reducing some stress in these uncertain times.

Nearly every day we hear tragic news of individuals and businesses suffering from the fallout of the coronavirus. This led the government to pass an enormous 2-Trillion dollar stimulus bill, the CARES Act, near the end of March. One of the more popular programs aimed at small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program. This part of the bill provided loans to eligible small businesses where some of the proceeds could be forgiven, tax free, if used for certain expenses. However, there was such a high demand for these loans that the program ran out of funding as quickly as about two weeks ago, less than a month later. Late last week Congress passed another stimulus bill adding additional funding to the Paycheck Protection Program, which was signed into law by the President Friday.

Near the end of March, the federal government passed the CARES Act. The bill provided an array of various stimulus measures. One of the most talked about were the $1,200 per person stimulus payments. At the time, the bill requested these payments be sent out as soon as possible, but it was unclear when these payments could be expected. Now, a few weeks after the bill passed, some individuals have started to receive their payments. However, if you're one of the many who have yet to receive their payment, there is a new IRS tool to track your payment and potentially update your information if needed.

It's no secret that we are living in uncertain times. Many workers in New Hampshire have either lost their jobs, have their hours reduced, or taken pay cuts because of the business impact of COVID-19. Luckily, for many there is some support through unemployment benefits. While these benefits won't replace your entire income, having some money coming in can be essential to keep up with your bills. In addition to regular benefits, the federal government has recently passed the CARES Act which temporarily expands unemployment benefits, along with other helpful provisions to assist individuals and businesses during this difficult time. Here's what you should know about filing for unemployment in New Hampshire and what benefits you may be entitled to

We've seen from the unemployment numbers that more and more people are losing their jobs because the coronavirus. We hope that this will only be temporary, and in the next few months life and work will return to normal. In the meantime, if you're one of the many who have lost their job or have had hours reduced, there are likely unemployment benefits you can apply for through Massachusetts. While this won't replace all your previous income, having some money coming in is better than nothing. In addition to the normal benefits through MA, the federal government recently passed the CARES Act which expands unemployment benefits along with other assistance for individuals and businesses. Here's what you should know about filing for unemployment in Massachusetts and what your benefits might be.