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Current market volatility is an investor test, not a market test
After years of unusually low market volatility that hypnotized a large swath of investors into believing yet again that markets only rise, the market drops of the last 2 days are a healthy reminder that stock market fluctuations should be viewed as a normal part of investing. Don’t forget, as is the case with food, good nutrition isn’t always tasty, but is beneficial in the long run. Eat your Brussels sprouts! As disciplined institutional investor Warren Buffet wisely said a while back, “The stock market is a device to transfer wealth from the impatient to the patient.” So, the real question is… do you want to be in the panic (impatient) group? Or the profit (patient) group?
Article library & oldies but goodies
News articles to help you make better financial decisions. Topics include investor behavior, smart financial choices, investor pitfalls to avoid, and other topics.
Maybe spend more $ in early years of retirement
Good news… you may be able to spend more in the early years of retirement than you thought. Smart in-retirement spending approaches were always critical to not running out of money have always been important, but new studies on longevity and spending patterns of those in retirement shed new light on the subject. You spend most of your life saving for retirement, so making sure the money is spent wisely…
Q4-2017/Year End Market Review
2017: A Year of Records Macroeconomic Environment Another record low in volatility, more record highs in global stock markets, mixed records in global temperatures, a record number of natural disasters in the U.S., and many records associated with President Trump. The VIX Index, a widely used measure of expected stock market volatility, fell more than 20% in 2017, reaching an all-time low in November. Stock markets hit a number of…
Take action now to reduce the risk of identify theft
If you are reading this (or even if you are not!), it is likely that you were one of the 145 million Americans whose information was exposed in the Equifax data breach earlier this fall (announced by Equifax in September of 2017), given that 145 million represents a high percentage of all adults in the U.S.. Now that the dust has settled, if you have not already done so, consider…
But why bother with a Bun?
Some time back, a fast food chain ran an advertising campaign featuring a study group of meat and cheese lovers. In the ad, the facilitator explains company’s new burger, and one of the test attendees indicates that he’d rather only have the tastiest part of the meal when he answers “I like the meat and cheese part, but why a bun?” Investors also sometimes ask themselves “Why the bun?”, however the question…
What is the right path to get there?
After 8 years of positive market returns and increased uncertainty in politics, should you be more worried about market fluctuation risk? Is it “different this time” and should you be more conservative as an investor? It is common to feel nervous and have questions questions at this point in a market cycle and when the Oval Office has changed hands. It may make sense to make a change if you…
Want to improve your returns? Keep your finger off the button.
It’s a new year and president, and with that comes uncertainty and many opinions about the direction of the investment markets. What’s key to remember is that uncertainty is nothing new. Studies suggest that despite major political and economic events that can impact returns in unpredictable ways in the short-run, it’s better to keep stay away from the panic button if you want better long-term results. A recently updated Dalbar,…