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The first month of the fourth quarter was positive for global stocks (+2.8%), which have now gained +19.1% year‐to‐date. Although US large cap (+2.2%) and small cap (+2.6%) had moderate gains within the month, their year‐to‐date returns are strong at +23.2% and +17.2%. Bonds are all up with their year‐to‐date numbers coming in at +9.1% […]

Politics and religion. Two of the most commonly debated subjects. So why bring one of them up? With impeachment rumors flooding the headlines, it’s pertinent to address the political questions surrounding the dinner table. Will this disturb my investments? Should I pull my portfolio out of the market?   The impeachment proceedings of 1974 and […]

Who Wins, Who Loses Under the Recent Tax Cuts In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to French scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, concerned that he had not heard from Le Roy since the beginning of the French Revolution. The letter asks about Le Roy’s health and events in Paris over the past year, whilst Franklin […]

The final month of the third quarter was positive for global stocks (+2.1%), which are now up 15.9% year-to-date. Bonds (-0.4%), on the other hand, fell slightly as yields ended the month on a higher note. Year-to-date, however, bonds have benefited from price appreciation and have returns of +6.4% (U.S.) and +10.0% (international). Alternative asset classes, […]

With global economic and profit growth slowing, central banks around the world have shifted their policies to be accommodative or dovish. Specifically, central bank action of late has been to lower short-term interest rates to combat weakening growth. For example, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) most recent rate cut was in September 2019. Taking the […]

If you have a son or daughter who is a high school junior or senior, chances are you have been guiding them through quite a bit of paperwork lately. From college applications and scholarship essays to requests for transcripts and recommendation letters, it seems that there is a never-ending stream of forms to be completed […]

Savant CEO Brent Brodeski was quoted in the article, “Acquisitions fuel Focus Financial’s growth, but debt questions loom,” on Financial-Planning.com. The article discussed the actions taken by Focus Financial to continue its growth.

If you are a Gen Xer (born 1965-1980), you are entering, or have already entered, your prime earning years.

Roth contributions are good, right? A brand new client walked into a small financial planning office (we’ll call him Jim). Jim unpacked his account paperwork on the conference room table – a few brokerage accounts, a 401(k), a Roth IRA, that sort of stuff. This was Jim’s first time working with a financial advisor. He […]

The summer months concluded with a weak August for equities while bonds and alternatives were generally positive. Both U.S. and international stocks gave back some of the gains made earlier in the year. Bonds were up across the board in August with international bonds the strongest performers. Alternative assets produced mixed returns as managed futures, […]

Investors generally think of bonds as safe investments that provide a stream of income. It may surprise some to learn that more than one quarter of all government bonds issued globally are trading with negative yields. In monetary terms, that is more than $15 trillion in government debt with a negative yield in addition to […]

When the financial markets are in turmoil and account balances start to fall, there is a strong temptation to ask your financial advisor to “do something” to stem any perceived losses. Yet it is often the case that staying the course—or doing nothing—proves to be the better path.  Here is one recent example: A hypothetical […]