Posts Tagged ‘market commentary’
My Friend Gandalf
As a financial advisor, I’m often asked where the markets are headed. Unfortunately, my crystal ball, affectionately named “Gandalf,” has been cracked and in the shop for years; frankly, I’m beginning to think I’ll never see Gandalf again. So, I’m forced to seek guidance from my second favorite source – data. It turns out…
Read MoreMarket Update – August 5th, 2024
After fielding some questions from clients over the past few days, I wanted to provide a quick update on what’s going on in the markets. What’s Happening In The Markets and Why Are They So Volatile? Today the markets continued last week’s selloff, on the heels of weaker-than-expected employment numbers Friday, and an over 12% loss in the…
Read MoreChaos and Bloodshed
Staying disciplined and invested can be difficult in times of chaos and market turbulence. History tells us this is the right time not to act.
Read More2022 Annual Review – Everything Will Be Okay
Ouch. Let me be the first to admit I thought we had another six months to a year before the markets woke up from their years-long drunken (on easy money) binge. After all, 2022 began the year with a strong labor market, easy money and record low interest rates, and Elon Musk still wealthy (I…
Read MoreGreen Shoots Amid the Economic Rubble
My apologies for the delay in getting this 3rd quarter review out. I was busy combing through the financial rubble that is the global economy for some glimmer of hope, and it turns out there are some sprouts beginning to grow. But first, the storm. For the 3rd quarter, US markets were off 4.46%, with…
Read MoreKevin Bacon and Sidelined Cash – 2Q2022
As 80s heartthrob, loose-footed, and distant-relative-to-all Kevin Bacon asked in the classic 1978 comedy Animal House (based on Harold Ramis’ experience at my alma mater WashU), “Thank you, sir, may I have another?” After a difficult 1st quarter, the US markets delivered another blow to investor portfolios, ending the first half of the year down…
Read MorePredictions, Money and Mattresses
I don’t usually make short-term market guesses – my crystal ball has been in the shop for almost 20 years; at this point I can’t remember if it was cracked or just fogged. I believe in the power of long-term markets, good diversification and poor performance as a result of short-term market prognosticating.
Read MoreRemembering the Good Times
It’s often said that the market takes the escalator up and the elevator down. For concrete evidence, simply look at the performance of the indexes the past few weeks. A close look at the headlines or nightly news (caution: this may be bad for your health and is proven to be bad for your portfolios) and you may think it’s only a matter of time before the indexes hit an all time low! And no, that’s not really a thing!
Read More2020…A Decade to Remember
Living through 2020 felt like living through an entire decade. I’ll leave it to you to decide which decade you’d like to relive, but I’m going for the 1960s – though maybe skimming a few years from the late 60s and adding them to the late 50s.
Read More2Q2020 Newsletter – Why Are Markets So High?
The markets will continue to be choppy in the coming months, due to the Coronavirus and upcoming elections. Don’t let that derail your long-term investment goals.
Read More1Q2020 Newsletter – Where Do We Go From Here?
Investors purchasing stocks/stock funds at these levels should expect a higher return over a long-term investment horizon than those who purchased in January, after 10 years of compounding double-digit growth. Likewise if the market continues to fall, that increases the investors’ expected returns.
Read MoreVolatility 2.0
An investor’s inclination to sell or buy is strongly inversely correlated to the proper time to do so. If your investment objectives and time horizon have not changed (other than being one day older), studies have consistently shown that your best course of action, difficult as it may be, is to remain invested.
Read MoreA Note On Market Volatility
Surprise! Stock markets can be volatile. Ask your fee-only financial advisor to help you remain disciplined.
Read More5 SECURE Act Changes…and How You May be Affected
In December of 2019, under the cover of darkness and impeachment hearings, some of the most significant tax legislation of the past 20 years passed in unusual bipartisan fashion: the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, or SECURE act. The name- which undoubtedly took weeks of debate to come up with and agree upon, speaks to the purpose, though not the entirety or sweeping nature of the act; a rare legislative accomplishment for an otherwise gridlocked Washington. While the act addresses a number of retirement chads left hanging after the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, it also makes changes to 529 plans, medical expense deductions, kiddie taxes and more. The focus of the plan is clear, however, in its attempt to modernize and streamline retirement savings for Americans.
Read MoreRiding High… 2Q2019 Review
The sky is falling mentality has just pushed the stock market to record highs. That the housing market is slowing, wages are stagnant-or negative in real terms, and you can get a higher return investing your money in 3-month government debt than 10 year debt (yield curve inversion) doesn’t seem to matter and the markets…
Read More