The first quarter of 2024 was very positive for the stock market with new highs being posted across most major indices. This resulted in the best first quarter returns of the year since 2019. Stocks: S&P 500: 10% Nasdaq: 9.5% Russell 2000: 4% Bonds have been trading flat to down mostly with interest rate cuts …
Tag Archives: Financial Planning
Markets and Tax Reminders
February just notched the best returns for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq since 2015, while the Dow had its best February since 2021. Thus far in 2024 there has been more market breadth with more than 71% of the stocks included in the S&P posting positive returns. That said, the median return of these is …
The Start of 2024
The start to 2024 has been full of excitement with the main stock indices reaching new all time highs (something that hasn’t happened since 2021). As we enter the beginning of February, many folks are wondering what to do in this circumstance along with a divisive presidential election and potential rate cuts that are forecasted …
Are Bonds Dead?
Dear clients and friends, October marked the third straight monthly drop for U.S. stocks where the Nasdaq and S&P 500 entered correction territory (down more than 10% from the most recent 52-week high). We mentioned last month that these corrections happen about every 16 months on average so this was not terribly unexpected. What is …
A Little History on Bull and Bear
Dear clients and friends, As we enter the last quarter of the year, volatility is picking up in both the stock and bond markets, primarily due to rising treasury yields and renewed concern about higher for longer rates of inflation and soaring national debt. Historically, September is a difficult month for the stock market and …
Direct Indexing
Dear clients and friends, We hope each of you is enjoying the summer months and a more stable market environment. As we progress further into the second half of the year we wanted to provide a quick update on the markets as well as introduce a concept called “Direct Indexing” which is becoming a bigger …
The Importance of Stress Testing
When we help people construct their retirement plans, we highlight the importance of stress testing different factors that could have a negative impact on financial estimates
Financial Planning – Take 2
One of the foundational principals of financial planning is selecting and prioritizing goals for your life. But all too often when I sit down with someone for the first time and ask them what goals they have, I get a slightly panicked stare in return and they are unable to answer the question. “A Wells …
The Price of This Home is $300,000, Can I Interest You in Paying $600,000 Instead?
Debt, we all love using it, but we all hate having it. I believe debt in and of itself is neither good nor bad. It’s neutral. However, the use of debt can provide varying degrees of good or bad outcomes for people. As a financial advisor, I coach my clients to view debt as a tool …