Category: Newsletters

In 1884, Charles Henry Dow averaged the closing prices of 11 stocks he considered representative of the strength of the U.S. economy in a paper that preceded The Wall Street Journal. By…

Market Commentary – 7.30.14 Never Wrong, Just Early Many forecasters who have made mistakes in their analyses tend to say that they were “never wrong, just early.â€쳌 Legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi…

Market Commentary – 10.10.2014 Volatility Joins the Party After being fairly contained for the past few quarters, the start of the fourth quarter has proven to be extremely volatile. In just the…

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are just one of the many types of investment funds available, but they have some qualities that are unique and set them apart from other vehicles. ETFs are securities…

Many people have heard the Benjamin Franklin quote, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Mutual fund taxes can be onerous. However, if you understand the complexities of mutual…

2015 Market Outlook Fifteen to Watch in ’15 Six years after the 2008 financial crisis, the world is still struggling to return to normal. Extraordinary monetary stimulus is still needed to support…

Market Commentary – 9.24.13 What’s Easy about Quantitative Easing? Recently you may have read or heard in the news about the possibility of the Federal Reserve (Fed) “tapering” its Quantitative Easing (QE)…

Market Commentary – 10.10.13 Avoiding a Debt Ceiling Catastrophe While we are seeing tentative signs for a short-term breakthrough to increase the debt ceiling, no long-term grand bargain or agreement to reopen…

The Trump administration has been using tariffs : or the threat of tariffs : in its efforts to reduce the trade deficit, address unfair trade practices, and push multinational businesses to move…

Monthly Market Monitor: January 2014 Recap Market Indices1 January Year-to-Date S&P 500 -3.46% -3.46% Russell 3000 -3.16% -3.16% MSCI EAFE -4.03% -4.03% MSCI Emerging Markets -6.49% -6.49% Barclays US Aggregate Bond +1.48%…

While we all hope our marriages will last forever, about 50% of first marriages in the United States end in divorce.1 And unfortunately, a couple who decide to divorce must typically negotiate…

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for persons age 65 and older as well as certain disabled individuals. In 1965, Medicare was enacted to provide a “safety net” of health-care coverage…

Provisions in the tax code allow you to pay lower capital gains taxes on the sale of assets held more than one year. Short-term gains : those resulting from the sale of…

2nd Quarter 2015 Market Outlook Adjusting to a Stronger Dollar and Weaker Oil Prices Most Americans are aware that the U.S. economy and markets are more frequently and deeply affected by global…

Market Commentary – 12.15.14 Investors Deal with Heightened Market Volatility Simply put, market volatility refers to the measurement of presently known expectations of return movements within an uncertain world. Within the U.S.…

There are many types of employer-sponsored retirement plans. One that may appeal to small businesses and to self-employed individuals is the savings incentive match plan for employees (SIMPLE) because, as the name…

Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a good way to save for retirement. If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or would like to supplement that plan, a…

The difference between personal and business tax rates is a factor that often influences a business owner’s choice of organizational structure. Thus, recent tax changes make it a good time to recalculate…

Market Commentary – 2.5.14 January: It’s Just Volatility In January, the S&P 500 lost over 3.5%, sending this index lower for its first monthly pullback since August. This drop has led many…

Term or whole life? Just be sure you have adequate coverage.