August 15, 2021

Over the years, we’ve written frequently about the potential perils of trying to time markets. Often, we refer to the need to make two critical decisions, both at precisely the right time: when to sell and when to re-buy. Both decisions are equally important, and erring on either (or both) can be costly. A new study adds yet another reason, which might be surprising to learn: moving in and out of stocks actually adds volatility to a portfolio.

June 30, 2021

If you’ve seen this movie before, raise your hand. Every year, business writers and market observers try to steer their audiences to their portfolio choices du jour. Small-cap growth? Dead! Large-cap value? Buy! International? Never! Emerging markets? Garbage! Bitcoin anyone?

May 15, 2021

For a hundred years or more, investors have been seeking the holy grail of investing: how not to lose money in the stock market. Finally, MONEY.com¹ has revealed the answer, and it can be condensed into two words: Don’t sell!

February 15, 2021

Whenever someone used to try a new task that didn’t turn out well, the line used against him/her was “Don’t quit your day job.” If your neighbor saw you do a house repair that didn’t go well: “Don’t quit your day job.” Fail to properly change the oil in your car: “Don’t quit your day job.” The point, obviously, was to continue doing the job that someone is paying you to do because you weren’t going to make a dime doing anything else. 

September 30, 2020

A few weeks ago, we moved my 98-year-old mother from independent living to long-term care. One of the reasons why we selected the community where she lives is because they have a continuum of care, to include independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing.

September 30, 2020

As many long-time investors know, the stock market doesn’t react well to uncertainty. What the market does reward is constancy: interest rates that don’t fluctuate to any great degree; an economy growing on a gradual incline; and a lack of drama. When it comes to 2020, put a check next to constancy in interest rates, as there’s no sign they’ll go higher, potentially for the next few years. And then put your pens down; the quiz is over.

August 15, 2020

If you spent the past five months in lunar orbit and recently opened your brokerage statement, your reaction was probably akin to ho-hum. For the rest of us mere mortals, it’s been an incredible whipsaw. Lacking sports and social lives, watching the stock market became its own entertainment.

June 30, 2020

Writing in the Business Section of the New York Times¹, that’s the title of a column by Carl Richards, who has gained fame as the “Sketch Guy”, a person who can take complex financial issues and define them through simple drawings. While the column includes a few of Richards’ sketches, it also includes five steps that investors might consider as we, along with the stock market, work through these perilous times.

June 30, 2020

As part of our efforts to provide financial advice to clients, we’re regularly reviewing the latest research on investments, planning, and many other topics related to a successful retirement.  Much of that research focuses on investors’ ability to stay on course with their asset allocation, through thick and thin.  We recently came across a couple of charts we felt did a good job of articulating the benefits of maintaining a long-term perspective when managing a portfolio. 

May 15, 2020

By: John Zeltmann

In the midst of a market downturn like we've seen over the past couple of months, and with the daily bombardment of bad economic news, it's easy to think the downtrend will continue.  Looking at one's retirement plan over several months rather than several years, it's easy to feel despair, especially during times like these.  When will the U.S. re-open?  When will kids go back to school?  When will grocery stores be safe?  What about a vaccine?  What will normal look like and when will it get here?