It’s the last trading day of August and then it is on to fall trading. U.S. stocks are higher this morning shrugging off concerns about the Ukraine. The S&P 500 is poised for its first four-week win streak of the year. (CNBC)

The July numbers on personal income and consumer spending show a 0.2% increase in income following a 0.4% rise in June, and a 0.1% decline in spending after June’s 0.4% increase. Both of these numbers were weaker than economists expected. (Associated Press)

U.S. home buyers signed more contracts to buy existing homes in July. Interest rates are lower than they were a year ago, price growth continues to moderate and total housing inventory is at its highest level since August 2012. Sales in the West rose 4.0% from June, but remain 6.0% below July 2013. (CNBC)

The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a broad examination of alternative mutual funds, one of the hottest and most controversial investment products being offered to small investors. Alternative funds, describe a class of mutual funds that employ hedge-fund-like strategies, including betting on some stocks and against others, trading futures contracts and using derivatives to increase leverage. (Market Watch)