Weekly Update – October 10, 2016 After a volatile September, stocks ended the third quarter of 2016 resoundingly in the black. In the third quarter, the S&P 500 gained 3.31%, the Dow grew 2.11%, the NASDAQ added 9.69%, and the MSCI EAFE gained 5.80%. What drove markets in Q3? After pulling back in late June after Britain’s surprise vote to exit the European Union, markets recovered quickly in the early days of the third quarter. [...]
A few years back, Charles Schwab released a study entitled, “The New Rules of Engagement for 401(k) Success.” 70% of the survey respondents said their 401(k) is their only or primary source of retirement savings. However, only 42% reported having received professional financial advice in the past two years. Schwab’s analysis found that the use of advice can have a significant impact on people’s behaviors in 401(k) plans. Specifically, use of professional advice has a [...]
Global markets bounced around pretty good last week while waiting to receive the “all clear” signal from Europe that never came. As has been for weeks now, headlines in Europe are driving the markets; so much so that I’m struggling to come up with something new to say each week! In light of my writer’s block, I thought I’d include an article from Mohammed El-Erian, the famous CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO – a popular [...]
While many American families celebrated the official beginning of summer, those of us charged with maintaining their portfolios were hanging on the news each day as it was released. It was a rocky go, and while the month may have ended (finally), we still have much to watch as the events of June 2011 play out in the months ahead. So… you may be thinking, ‘What in the world did I miss?’ In the spirit [...]
I like to keep in-mind the beginning of Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem ‘If’ as I lead investors through weeks like last week: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too...” While certainly no one was blaming last week’s slamming of the global markets on me, emotions ran high [...]
This blog is part of a larger white paper we've recently published titled: Opportunities and Risks in 2011. Click on that title to read the full version. As always, I won’t make any predictions for the coming year as the value in precise market predictions – such as what the S&P will end the year at, or what asset class will perform best – is fruitless. Like life, investing is a journey and there are typically [...]
Total Returns % 1 Week YTD Dow Jones Industrial Average -0.41% +2.13% NASDAQ Composite -0.10% +1.28% S&P 500 Index -0.55% +1.49% Russell 2000 +0.29% -1.05% U.S. Aggregate Bond Index +0.24% +0.10% MSCI All Country World -1.08% +0.04% Source: Yahoo! Finance. Data through 1-28-11 Global markets were mixed on the week. Going into Friday, the markets were carrying gains. However, the markets were pushed lower due to a combination of the problems in Egypt, Ford Motor [...]