When It Comes to the Market, Timing Isn’t Everything
Ken Moraif, host of Money Matters, claims to have a unique algorithm that allows his clients to time the market, i.e., know when it’s best to get in and out. He believes a timing strategy is required for investors to have success—but that thinking goes against all academic research and the opinions of most highly […]
Read ArticleSummer’s Hot Issues
On May 21, 2015, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,130.82, an all-time closing high for this broad measure of 500 large U.S. companies. In the year since, it has failed to recapture that level. It’s not uncommon for the major indexes to go through periods where gains are elusive or we experience unwanted volatility. […]
Read ArticleFour options for who you should name as trustee
You are thinking seriously about getting your estate planning done. You need to create a trust. You are in a quandary about who you should name as successor trustee. Read on and I will help you think through a few points about who you should name as successor trustee. What Are a Trustee’s Duties? Many […]
Read ArticleHow the New DOL Fiduciary Rules May Help Investors — or Not
For many months, Wall Street brokers have been complaining about how badly they would be hurt by potential new rules that would require them to at least sometimes work just a little more in the best interest of their clients. Naturally, when the Department of Labor recently announced the new rules, it did so with […]
Read ArticleCalmer Waters Are Welcome
Probably the simplest reasons anyone invests in stocks are to make money (capital gains), generate income (dividends), or some combination of the two. Of course, that really is putting it in the simplest of terms. Many of you have chosen to follow our recommendations to place a portion of your nest egg in a diversified […]
Read ArticleInvesting: A Matter of Faith
Investing, in the final analysis, is a matter of faith. This, I think, is an important fundamental to understand. I am not writing of “blind faith.” Nor, necessarily, religious faith. It is my conviction that there is no such thing as blind faith. If a person acts blindly, it is not out of faith; it […]
Read ArticleHow to Lose at Investing: Follow Your Gut
Financial Planning magazine reported that its “perceived risk-tolerance level” barometer had dropped 7 points from January to 27.9 in February — the lowest level since its inception. This barometer seeks to measure clients’ (or self-directed investors’) appetite for risk. In looking at the readings over the last 12 months, it’s very easy to understand why […]
Read ArticleWhy Should I Care About Sectors?
The term “sectors” is often thrown around, but what exactly does it mean and why should you care? In short, the economy and financial markets can be broken down into segments called sectors, which are simply large groupings of industries in similar businesses. Each sector can be further broken down into industry groups. For example, […]
Read ArticleYour Feelings About the Market are Probably Wrong
According to Thomson Reuters Lipper, investors pulled over $60 billion from mutual funds in January, the worst month of outflows we’ve seen in years. Mutual fund outflows are one way to get an idea of what retail investors are doing. Whether they are self-directing or calling up their advisors and demanding their plan be thrown […]
Read ArticleAre You a Grocery Store Trader?
Have you ever gone into the grocery store on a whim when you had some extra time? No list in hand, just time to spend in the store. You wander aisle by aisle, picking up a few things that catch your eye. You grab a few staples. Maybe a few treats you haven’t had in […]
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