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The SVB Collapse
Financial markets were shaken last week as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group (SIVB), fell into FDIC receivership. SVB is the first FDIC-insured institution to fail since 2020 and the...
Read MoreWAITING FOR NEW HIGHS
Financial markets have experienced quite a bit of change this year in just two short months. We started the year hopeful that stocks would benefit from a better economic and monetary policy environment by the spring, but recent...
Read MoreOpportunities in 2023
Whether you’re one to set ambitious New Year’s resolutions or simply use the beginning of the year to reset on a few habits, there’s almost always some value in reflecting on the past year before looking ahead. The...
Read MoreSECURE 2.0 Makes Retirement Saving Easier
There was good news for those saving for retirement in the recent appropriations bill passed to fund the government, signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022. The larger bill included a set of retirement reforms called...
Read MoreREASONS FOR OPTIMISM
We wish you a happy New Year and hope you were able to close out 2022 with friends and family.The beginning of a calendar year is often the time when the previous year’s reflections transition to a new year’s hopes. Given...
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OUTLOOK 2023: FINDING BALANCE
Through all the challenges, newfound opportunities, and every high and low we’ve experienced during the last couple of years, it’s no surprise why we might be striving for more balance. Whether it’s about the markets...
Read MoreLOOKING AHEAD
October is now behind us and it has delivered on its track record as a historically favorable month for stocks, offering some respite for investors as major equity indices rose for the month. The downside pressure on equities had...
Read MoreCOULD THE WORST BE BEHIND US?
First, we want to acknowledge the tremendous damage and displacement caused by Hurricane Ian. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this devastating storm.This has clearly been a challenging year for households. Stocks and bonds are...
Read MoreBETTER TIMES AHEAD
In the last several weeks, we have continued to face elevated uncertainty in financial markets due to high inflation and rising interest rates, and we thought it was an important time to take stock with the final quarter of 2022 just...
Read MoreTHE BEST AND WORST OF TIMES
When it comes to stock market performance, August was “the best of times, and the worst of times.” The strong market rally that peaked in mid-August was viewed by many analysts as a transition from a bear to bull market,...
Read MoreBIG WEEK FOR MARKET WATCHERS
Last week was epic for market-watchers. A Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike, a much-anticipated gross domestic product (GDP) report, and the busiest week of earnings season got most of the headlines. There was even a surprise out of...
Read MoreMidyear Outlook: Navigating Turbulence
We may not be flying into a storm, but there’s been plenty of turbulence the first part of 2022.
Read MoreLOOKING FORWARD
As the calendar has turned to July, investors would certainly like to forget the first six months of 2022. However, the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday does bring with it reason for celebration. Not only is it the 246th...
Read MoreA Bear Market Is Officially Here
A bear market is officially here thanks largely to stubbornly high inflation. For many of us, it has probably felt like a bear market for a while now, but the S&P 500 Index didn’t close more than 20% below its January 3 record...
Read MoreBear Market Hangs By A Thread
The bull market that began in March of 2020 came dangerously close to an end. From March 23, 2020 through January 3, 2022, the S&P 500 Index gained 114% (excluding dividends). From that January 3 closing high through the recent low on...
Read MoreMany Reasons to Be Thankful
The past year and a half have tested all of us, but overall, the economy continues to strengthen, COVID-19 trends are greatly improving, and this still relatively young bull market is alive and well. As the leaves turn colors and begin...
Read MoreChange May Bring Opportunities
One constant in life is change. During the past year and a half, we have experienced more change than any of us bargained for. Change is disruptive—but also brings opportunities. For investors right now, there is no shortage of...
Read MoreThe Bull Market Continues
The bull market continues, with the S&P 500 Index now up seven months in a row. Stocks have impressively gained 20% year-to-date, with the S&P 500 making 53 new all-time highs before the end of August—another new record. All of...
Read MoreSix Months and Counting
Six months and counting. That is the current monthly winning streak for the S&P 500 Index. To take that a step further, this key equity benchmark has posted gains in 13 of the last 16 months—dating back to the March 2020 low....
Read MorePicking Up Speed
In the first half of 2021, the U.S. economy powered forward faster than nearly anyone had expected. Speed can be exhilarating, but it can also be dangerous. In our view, the overall economic picture remains sound and will likely...
Read MoreA Path to Normalcy
As we move into June, a path to normalcy is coming quickly with stadiums allowing full capacity, restaurants filling up, and summer vacations in full swing. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to recover remarkably quickly and the...
Read MoreOut of the Shadows
As the calendar has turned to May, the popular “Sell in May and Go Away” stock market cliché is getting a lot of airtime. This is the idea that the stock market tends to be weakest between May and October (and...
Read MoreEarth Day 2021
Earth Day marks a chance to learn about the environmental challenges we face, and reflect on the ways we can become more involved and make personal choices to elicit positive environmental and social changes. Increasingly, more...
Read MoreSpring Into a Positive Outlook
“The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.” Peter LynchThey say April showers bring May flowers. Well, after a lot of showers and storms over the past year, flowers are starting to bloom and things are...
Read MoreThe Return of Normal is Fast Approaching
It’s now been over a year since COVID-19 first hit American shores. While the pandemic has affected everyone to varying degrees, we can all agree that everyone’s life is different today than it was a year ago. It’s...
Read MoreStay The Course - Beware the Popularity Contests
“In the short-term, the market is a popularity contest. In the long-term, the market is a weighing machine.” Warren Buffett 2021 is under way, as our nation and the rest of the world look to begin to put the global pandemic...
Read MoreA Fresh Start, But The Road Ahead May Not Be Smooth
Happy New Year! A new year offers a welcomed turn of the calendar and a fresh start. However, it’s difficult to put 2020 completely behind us just yet because the COVID-19 pandemic still presents a significant threat. Healthcare...
Read MoreOutlook 2021-Looking Forward to a New Year
As 2020 comes to a close, we are already looking forward to a new year—and to a world very different from the one we’re leaving behind. Areas of the economy have been damaged and may never fully recover, but other areas...
Read MoreBiden Elected - Clarity for the Markets
Former Vice President Joe Biden has been elected the 46th President of the United States, defeating President Donald Trump in a tight race and bringing an end to the highly contested 2020 election. The new president-elect benefited...
Read MoreElection 2020 Is Undecided
Dear Valued Investor: The American people have voted, casting a record number of ballots under extraordinary circumstances, which is a testament to the enduring resilience of our democracy. Determining the outcome of our elections is a...
Read MoreA Number of Positives on the Horizon
Autumn has arrived, with students back in school, baseball playoffs beginning, and football in full swing. Life is trying to get back to as normal as possible despite the ongoing impact from COVID-19. While the number of new daily...
Read MoreNow's The Time to Stay the Course!
Back to school this year will be different. On the one hand, like other years, it marks the end of summer, the arrival of cooler weather, kids hitting the books again, and Labor Day gatherings. But unlike other years, going back to...
Read MoreThe Journey Isn't Over Yet
The battle versus COVID-19 continues. The spread in some of the recent hotspots like California and Florida is slowing, while states in the Northeast and Midwest are now experiencing increases in cases. According to the World Health...
Read MoreMarket Behavior and The Economy
As states cautiously begin the process of relaxing their COVID-19 restrictions, some are wondering, “Why is the stock market doing so well when the economy is doing so poorly?” It’s a great question, and fortunately,...
Read MoreHistory Never Repeats Itself. Man Always Does.
The July Fourth holiday will be very different this year. Although it’s a time to enjoy family and friends, and maybe even watch some fireworks, social distancing and a new wave of COVID-19 cases also may take a seat at the...
Read MoreA June Update
As we look ahead to the summer months, we can’t help but think what a challenging year it’s been so far. At the same time, we’re encouraged by the resiliency and accelerated innovation among US businesses and the...
Read MoreA Glimmer of Hope
Dear Valued Investor: “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald The economic struggles in our country are among the worst we’ve ever seen. In April, a record 20 million people...
Read MoreNowhere To Go But Up
Investors like labels for the economy and financial markets—many of them with the word “great” in them. The Great Depression. The Great Recession. The Great Lockdown. Well, we’ve moved into what we might call...
Read MoreHow We Respond Matters
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” — Lou Holtz, Hall of Fame football coach As the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic continues, how we respond to it will determine how we beat it....
Read MoreA Unique Economic Situation
These are challenging times, and this week may be the toughest as we wait for COVID-19 to reach its peak in the United States. As the war against COVID-19 wages on, we continue to be inspired by the tremendous bravery shown by...
Read MoreWhen It's Raining Gold, Reach For a Bucket
“Every decade or so, dark clouds will fill the economic skies, and they will briefly rain gold. When downpours of that sort occur, reach for a bucket.” —Warren Buffett The battle with COVID-19 rages on, and the...
Read MoreKeep Calm & Stay On Plan
Expect volatility but avoid letting the headlines alter your plans. Recent headlines have added volatility to the markets. There will always be new headlines, and any of them could mean turbulence for Wall Street. As an investor and...
Read MoreYou Could Retire, But Should You?
Some people retire at first opportunity, only to wish they had waited longer. Your financial strategy likely considers normal financial ups and downs. That said, a big “what if” on your mind might be “what if I retire...
Read MoreYes, Young Growing Families Can Save & Invest
It may seem like a tall order, but it can be accomplished. Put yourself steps ahead of your peers. If you have a young, growing family, no doubt your to-do list is pretty long on any given day. Beyond today, you are probably working on...
Read MoreCoping With the Shutdown
Right now, many households across the country are contending with the financial pressures resulting from the partial federal government shutdown. About 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed, and about 4 million government...
Read MoreInvesting Means Tolerating Some Risk
When financial markets have a bad day, week, or month, discomforting headlines and data can swiftly communicate a message to retirees and retirement savers alike: equity investments are risky things, and Wall Street is a risky place....
Read MoreNew Medicare Cards Are on the Way
In the coming months, they will reach retiree mailboxes. New Medicare cards will be mailed out between now and next April. They have an 11-digit I.D. number instead of your SSN, and they are made of paper rather than plastic. This new...
Read MoreThe Pros & Cons of Roth IRA Conversions
What are the potential benefits? What are the drawbacks? If you own a traditional IRA, perhaps you have thought about converting it to a Roth IRA. Going Roth makes sense for some traditional IRA owners, but not all. Why go Roth? There...
Read MoreKeeping This Correction in Perspective
After 20 months of relative calm, this volatility needs to be taken in stride. Are you upset by what is happening on Wall Street? It may help to see this pullback within a big-picture context. Corrections have become so rare as of late...
Read MoreKeeping This Correction in Perspective
After 20 months of relative calm, this volatility needs to be taken in stride. Are you upset by what is happening on Wall Street? It may help to see this pullback within a big-picture context. Corrections have become so rare as of late...
Read MoreThink Total Return
Never touch your principal in retirement? Think again. More than a century ago, an American financial archetype emerged – the household that lived on the interest earned by its investments, never touching its principal. Times...
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