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Global stocks (-4.2%) recorded their first month of losses in over a year. U.S. and international stocks were down across the board with U.S. large value stocks (-5.0%) the worst performing of the group. February also saw Jerome Powell sworn in as Chairman of the Federal Reserve replacing outgoing Chairwoman Janet Yellen. Solid economic data […]

February saw the return of volatility in stocks after an unusually calm 2017. Global stocks had their worst month since January 2016, the S&P 500 experienced its worst single trading day since 2011, and the VIX hit its highest levels since August 2015. Although these events made plenty of headlines, what they actually mean for […]

Home ownership has changed from the way it used to work for prior generations. Fifty years ago, many people bought a home and stayed in it for 30 years or longer. Far fewer take that approach today. As a result, many past “rules of thumb” need to be reevaluated. The answer to “How should I […]

One of the top concerns for Americans in their 60s is how to pay for retirement. To enter retirement with confidence, consider a plan that addresses these five key areas.  #1: Forecast Your Cost of Living If you’re approaching retirement, your first focus should be gaining a clear understanding of your current expenses and how […]

Global stocks (+5.4%) continued to push forward to start off the new year. All U.S. and international equity asset classes increased in the month of January – largely attributed to higher than expected corporate earnings and positive economic data. On Feb. 5, Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen will be replaced by Jerome Powell. Analysts expect […]

A moderate pickup in U.S. inflation is beginning to resonate with markets in 2018. As underlying inflation data has begun to pick up, market-based inflation expectations have approached 2%, nearing levels not seen since mid-2014. Recent year-over-year inflation measures such as core CPI (consumer price index) and core PCE (personal consumption expenditure) have nudged modestly […]

The U.S. stock market has delivered an average annual return of around 10% since 1926.1 But short-term results may vary, and in any given period stock returns can be positive, negative, or flat. When setting expectations, it’s helpful to see the range of outcomes experienced by investors historically. For example, how often have the stock market’s […]

A Smooth Ride to the Top Stock market volatility has been historically low: standard deviation of S&P 500 Index daily returns was 0.42% in 2017, the lowest since 1965 2017 was the only year that the MSCI All Country World Stock Index (IMI) posted a gain in every month Over a year since the S&P […]

Reaping the benefits of the third longest U.S. expansion since 1945 (see Exhibit 1), investors have enjoyed very favorable market returns, low volatility, low inflation, and expanding household net worth. Of course, a big part of the expansion was just recovering lost ground from the 50%+ market losses during the 2007-2009 recession. As we enter […]

Global stocks (+1.6%) finished the year on a very strong note. Continued strength from emerging markets (+3.6%) pushed the asset class to a 37.3% gain during 2017! International stocks in aggregate led U.S. stocks over the course of 2017, helped by a weaker U.S. dollar. Aside from inflation-protected bonds (+0.9%), bonds were essentially flat during […]

There was certainly no shortage of potential market shocks in 2017. To start the year, the U.S. ushered in new leadership. The year also saw presidential elections in South Korea, India, Iran, Germany, and France – each of which had potential to impact markets. In March, the U.K. invoked Article 50 commencing Brexit negotiations that […]

In the 1630s in Holland, tulips were a relatively new flower. (The first tulips came to Europe from Turkey in 1554.) The flowers were perceived as a luxury, so they were in high demand across Europe and there was a limited supply. In the mid-1630s, speculation entered the market. The price for tulips began to […]