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Last Year’s Lessons

February 4, 2025We’ll get right to the point: In investing, forecasts and predictions are worthless. And probably, “in anything”. But for our purposes here, no one in history has been right more often than wrong in such a quantity that would force the rest of us to acknowledge the existence of a true fortune teller. Of course, a look into all past predictions is required to make this assertion. We’ve certainly written enough about it over the years to make the case. And the folly of forecasting is no secret. But a full thesis this is not. Rather, we prefer to pick ... Read More

Beyond Markets

January 26, 2025Investing is just one spoke in the wheel As we kick off the New Year, let’s start by making sure we have a few key pieces of our financial health in order: Budgeting: Whether you’re planning short term for an upcoming vacation or home project, or long term for college or your retirement, knowing your budget is paramount. Now is a great time to revisit last year’s numbers. See what worked and what did not. Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up. Budgeting is like working out: consistency over long periods of time is what produces results. If you fell off ... Read More

Good Times, Bad Times

October 18, 2024Folks, the S&P 500: It’s tough to imagine those bad periods, right? We’ve been in a good one for quite some time now. Of course, within all the good periods were some duds (like 2022), and within the bad, some good (like 2003). But it’s been quite a run, especially when you consider that what the S&P 500 represents – large US companies – has given us the best returns since 2013 – better than value, small cap, foreign and emerging market stocks. Therein lies the danger! While 11 years seems like a long time, a statistician will tell ... Read More

Do Elections Matter to the Markets?

August 21, 2024It’s getting closer. And the closer it gets, the more people wonder and/or worry about what effect the election may have on their portfolio. For those of you who have been with us a while, I think you know what’s coming. But a little reminder never hurts. And for the newbies, behold the power of the markets! The S&P 500 has averaged about 10.4% annualized since 1926. Now look at the averages at the top right. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Even a bit better, particularly during the election years (coincidently, this year too). Whether it’s the year of ... Read More