We certainly live in a brave new world. Welcome to the age of passive investing where almost half of all dollars are now invested in index fund strategies with the singular goal of “tracking the market.” That is double the level seen a decade ago and quadruple the level seen only two decades ago. And, […]
First-Half 2017 Was a Calm, Upward Grind
As this year has unfolded, investors have been treated to a highly unusual level of financial market calm amidst an equally unusual stretch of political volatility. It’s been eerily calm, in fact. To put this in perspective, on only two trading days this year has the stock market ended up or down over 1%. In […]
New Fiduciary Duty Rules for Advisors
It is my belief that honesty is always the best policy. Given that, I am happy to pass along some recent news from the world of finance that helps to tilt things in your favor. This past Friday, the long-awaited Department of Labor “fiduciary duty” rule finally sprang to life. Despite the Trump administration’s immediate […]
Price Acts Like Gravity
It is my professional opinion that today’s stock market and bond market are both generally overpriced. If I am correct, future returns for passive investors will be lower than hoped-for and the implications will be quite large. The US is facing a substantial pile of age-related liabilities. I am not talking about the tens of […]
The Big Transition Toward Retirement
Retirement is a process, not a single point in time. Clearly, it’s one that’s best navigated only once. Reading the key signposts of success along the way will certainly help keep you on the path to a fulfilling retirement. These include aligning your career choice and earnings potential with your natural-born talents and having the […]
Financial Survival Tips for College Students
Attention to all parents and grandparents of a college-bound high school student: our next Front Street Foundation Money Series event will provide your young loved ones with financial lessons that are certain to save them emotional anguish and money for years to come! That’s quite a claim, but I’ll stand behind it. In fact, for […]
Pick Your Bond Teeter-Totter Wisely
With the Federal Reserve starting in earnest to raise interest rates, it’s all the rage to worry about bonds. Why all the hand-wringing? It boils down to a tendency to over simplify the math. To start, bond investors expect two things; getting their money back at some known point in the future and receiving interest […]
ACA vs. AHCA: Everything Old is New Again
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That was never more true than with the recent unveiling of the Republicans’ long-awaited “Repeal and Replace” plan, called the American Health Care Act (AHCA). To the surprise of many, under their plan large swaths of the existing Affordable Care Act (ACA) would remain. Given […]
An Historical Perspective on Today’s Market
Here’s an historical perspective on the price (valuation) of today’s stock market… in short, by many measures, we’re experiencing one of the highest priced markets in modern history. Regardless of riding the momentum, proactive risk management is prudent behavior, in my view. https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2017/02/01/is-the-stock-market-cheap
Minding Your Financial CyberSecurity
According to Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” While he certainly didn’t know about the many benefits and pitfalls the internet would bring with regard to the security of personal information, Dickens aptly describes a modern day plight for today’s investors. If managed correctly, you can get […]