Recently, I held a strategy meeting with a client. It started pretty standardly, reviewing their goals and needs then reviewing account performance. Before we even had their account pulled up the client said “Oh yeah, I’ve seen the headlines, I’m sure my account is down.” I was pretty surprised by their sentiment. We talked for… Read More
You want to draw some income while preserving some of your capital. So, you decide to take a look at fixed-income investments. A little research shows you that 10-year Treasury notes haven’t yielded more than 2% since July 2019. One-year T-bills haven’t yielded 1% since February 2020. You shrug and think, “Ah, well, low-interest rates,… Read More
Every time the market takes a dip, there’s that little voice in the back of your head that thinks “What if this time is different?” Spoiler Alert… It usually isn’t. Sure, different scenarios arise but market corrections are incredibly common. How common? Let’s take a look. Take a look at this graphic from a Charles… Read More
Every few months, you may hear the phrase “earnings season” as you listen to financial news. But what exactly is “earnings season,” and why is it important to Wall Street? Earnings season is the time when a majority of publicly traded companies release their quarterly financial reports. Companies often go into great detail about their… Read More
The first two weeks of 2021 have already had many ups and downs. Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean that the 2020 issues go away, and so far, 2021 has been no exception to this rule. The markets opened on January 4 and traded lower out of the gate, with the S&P 500… Read More
As much as you would like to, you can’t keep your money in your retirement account forever. These investment vehicles include 401(k)s, IRAs, and similar retirement accounts. Under the SECURE Act, once you reach age 72, you must begin taking required minimum distributions from your 401(k), IRAs, or other defined contribution plans in most circumstances.… Read More
As an investor, it can be tempting to get caught up in daily news headlines. Consider how news about the election and COVID-19 vaccines have moved the markets over the past several weeks. Having a financial strategy, however, can help you ignore short-term volatility and focus on your long-term vision. As you know, investing is… Read More
Investors are routinely warned about allowing their emotions to influence their decisions. However, they are less routinely cautioned about their preconceptions and biases that may color their financial choices. In a battle between the facts & biases, our biases may win. If we acknowledge this tendency, we may be able to avoid some unexamined choices… Read More
You may have heard that a presidential election is now days away. However, what you might not be aware of is that 45% of consumers with $100,000 or more investable assets expect to make changes to their investments due to the election, according to a recent Hartford Funds study. That is an alarming number. Second-guessing… Read More
When the market starts to go down, it can be hard to keep emotions out of your decision making. Money you have worked hard for starts going down and irrationality sets in. You tend to think worst case scenario. “If the market is down 10% in a month, then I’ll be out of money in… Read More