In news affecting your wealth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its quarterly world economic outlook on January 22 and said that global expansion is strengthening. Timed for release at the Davos economic summit, the latest IMF forecast projects global growth will rise to 3.6% in 2017 and 3.7% in 2018. That represents an upward revision to an accelerating world economy. In upping its forecast for the world growth rate by 0.2% in 2018 and again in 2019, the IMF said world growth was broad-based and cited the change in U.S. tax laws as a main cause.

Meanwhile, the Conference Board's newly released index of leading economic indicators continued to show great strength and also cited the new tax law in its outlook.

"The U.S. LEI continued rising rapidly in December, pointing to a continuation of strong economic growth in the first half of 2018," said the Conference Board's economic analysis team. "The passing of the tax plan is likely to provide even more tailwind to the current expansion. The gains among the leading indicators have been widespread, with most of the strength concentrated in new orders in manufacturing, consumers' outlook on the economy, improving stock markets and financial conditions."