You Asked, So We’ll Answer FOQ: There are thousands of funds. Why do I own these? Short: Science. Long: This may be our most common question regarding our clients’ portfolios. It’s no secret that here at Great Oak science rules. And the science tells us in no uncertain terms to construct your portfolio according to five rules: 1. Keep costs low; 2. Diversify; 3. Rebalance periodically; 4. Never time the market in any way, shape or form; and 5. Mix in exposure to “factors” (small cap, value, profitability and momentum). Checking all five boxes requires very specific types of …
Houston, We Have a Problem
If you wanted SpaceX at its IPO price, you probably didn’t get any. It was well over-subscribed – lots of buyers, not enough sellers. So most people who wanted it bought it when trading started, on or after 6/12. The IPO price was $135. The first closing price on 6/12 was $161. On its third day it peaked at $225. As we write this at 10:47am on July 21, the price stands at $127. The good news is that if you were dragging your feet on buying it, now you’ll get a nice discount! We sincerely hope that anyone …
Sell in May and Go Away!
Have you heard that one? Seems to be 50/50 when we ask. A client said it last week, so let’s indulge. It’s a few decades old. Someone once (mistakenly) thought that the market was a sure bet to waste your time and money between May and August. Buy back in September, they would’ve advised. Well…that’s bad advice. Those who read this likely know by now that market timing in any way, shape or form does not work. That’s not an opinion – it’s scientific fact. We’re sure you’re sick of hearing it! So let’s look instead: Jared Blikre of Yahoo …
Patience in Investing: 2026 Update
The saying “Risk equals reward” is incomplete on its own. For example, were you to say, “Risk equals reward, but not all risks are rewarded”, you’d be correct (that’s a topic for another time). Furthermore, there’s a time factor involved in the reward side of this simple equation. We’d say, “Risk equals reward. But you must wait for it.” How long? You never know. And therein lies the risk. While we’ve recently hit new highs (February 26th), the road to these levels has been peppered with periods of no growth, or no reward for the risk – periods that can …