The Big S-Curve

The most common things that typical market observers are currently worried about (partially fueled by the media) revolve around politics, the trade war, interest rates and the timing/depth of the next recession.

It is much less common to hear someone talking about the potential positives. Fears like this are nothing new, and in fact, I cannot remember a time in my career when there wasn't a slew of fears to worry about.

Anyone who follows the equity markets on a stock by stock (or company by company) basis (like me) has likely noticed that the market has experienced a clear shift in behavior since early September.

Some examples of this include:

• Significant strength in the Financial sector with many financial stocks hitting all-time highs
• Significant strength in Industrials, with many at new highs
• A clear shift toward value stocks and away from smaller/newer growth stocks
• A shift away from the previous winners and into the previous losers
• Many of the “S-Curve” plays – see blog from 11/4/19 – have declined
• Weakness in REITS, utilities and consumer staples stocks 
• All-time highs in the major market indices

As money scams proliferate, senior citizens are one of the most vulnerable populations. The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes a four-fold increase in financial fraud reports in recent years. Suspicious financial activity that involves older Americans totaled $1.7 billion in 2017 alone, the bureau says.

Are you and your spouse preparing for retirement? Have you had a candid conversation about what that retirement will really look like? Here are some steps as a retirement planning guide to help you have a productive discussion as a couple. 

In the world of finance, we are continually learning and seeking high-quality data and information to help us make the best decisions for our clients' wealth.

Our advisors truly enjoy providing financial advice and guidance to those around them, but we were curious about the best financial advice they have ever received. We asked them to share one thing that has helped them achieve success.

So, here are eight valuable points to consider adding to your knowledge bank.

Just a few years ago, the terms “fiduciary” and “fiduciary advisor” had little meaning to the general public.

But knowledge of these words spread when the Department of Labor (DOL) issued the fiduciary rule and proposed all ERISA investment accounts be managed as a fiduciary.

The fiduciary rule would have required any advisors who offer retirement advice to act in their clients’ best interest. It had widespread ramifications for brokers and insurance agents who traditionally push self-serving, high-commission products, with little or no regard for the clients' best interest.

• 78% of American workers live paycheck to paycheck according to a 2017 report by employment website CareerBuilder.
• $6,741 is the average revolving credit card balance for U.S. households, according to a NerdWallet 2019 Survey.
• 42% of workers with adult children over 21 provide them with financial support and more than half are willing to sacrifice their own financial well-being to do so, according to a 2018 (PwC) PricewaterhouseCoopers survey.
  

Some DIY investors may feel like they are saving money by managing their own investments. But just like with your car, is it smart to be your own mechanic? A lot can go wrong. What might that cost you? And if you found a great mechanic who you trusted, would you ever want to fix your own car again?

From our years of experience, we find many investors who feel they are managing their own portfolios well. But across the board, when we review their portfolios, we find they are missing out for multiple reasons. Here are a few examples:

Successful investing takes patience. There is no Holy Grail or magic, risk-free formula that ensures success and worry-free sleep. In short, investing involves some risk-taking. However, here are six mistakes you can avoid in your investment portfolio.