Follow the money. Goldman Sachs is stepping out with some bullish commentary. Market Watch reported, "a team of Goldman Sachs strategists led by David Kostin, says the worst of the market rout is behind us. A 'previous near-term downside of 2000 [for the S&P 500] is no longer likely. Our year-end S&P 500 target remains 3000 (+8%),' says the team in a note to clients on Monday. "Why? 'The combination of unprecedented policy support and a flattening viral curve have dramatically reduced downside risk for the [...]

Timing the market - Although the financial markets can be remarkably steady over longer time periods, sharp short-term movements in security prices are increasingly frequent. Choosing the ideal moment to buy or sell is difficult, and investors who attempt to time the market may end up missing periods of exceptional returns. Ignoring the power of diversification - Individual asset classes go in and out of favor over time. Harnessing proper diversification can enhance returns and help to cushion against volatility. Assuming past performance guarantees future results [...]

The Coronavirus outbreak is causing panic worldwide and almost everywhere investors look, the headlines seem daunting when it comes to the epidemic and their portfolios. What is an investor to do amid these circumstances? First and foremost, everyone must understand the incentives of the news outlets pumping out these headlines. They are attempting to sell advertising. So why is it that bad news seems to dominate the headlines? Marc Trussler and Stuart Soroka, set up an experiment that they published in 2014. The researchers present their [...]

Well... it's Monday following an 11% drop in the DOW from last week. And what's happened? When financial markets hit periods of volatility like this past week, these questions inevitably fly around: Is this the right time to sell? Why are my account balances dropping? Shouldn't you (the advisor) be doing something? Shouldn't I change my allocation? Amid all the news and noise, investors are wondering what to do - if anything. You don't have to look back far in history for an example of what [...]

A lot of people like to think they’re making decisions based on logic and facts, but the truth is emotions typically play a role in our decision-making process. As you can imagine, we have many strong feelings when it comes to our money and that can become a problem for your retirement plan. Do you let emotions seep into your financial decision-making? That’s the question we want to explore today on Her Wealth Matters. This isn’t a conversation exclusively for women. We are all pushed by [...]

It finally happened. A bona fide selloff took hold on Wall Street Monday after investors spent weeks attempting to come to terms with the potential impact of COVID-19 as it spreads in countries outside of China, notably Italy and Iran, threatening to dent global supply chains and economies. There are now 79,339 cases of COVID-19—the infectious disease derived from the novel strain of coronavirus that reportedly originated in Wuhan, China last year— in 30 countries and 2,619 deaths, according to the latest figures from the World [...]

With the U.S. and China dominating the news over the last several months as they dispute tariffs being waged on each other, the headlines seem relentless, confusing and daunting. Let's face it, the terminology of trade wars and tariffs is complicated. And most people don't stop to investigate the history or context. The nonstop scare machine may cause you to feel the need to do something with your investments. Check out the attachment for a quick walk through history that highlights some of the major historic [...]

In an email on Jan 3rd about 'Prediction Season' and yesterday's email about 2019's historic market rise, the bottom line is that markets react from current news, policies, projections, and regulations. They project forward, usually reflecting that they are or are not bothered by the same things you or I, individually, are. This is a good letter from David Booth, Executive Director and Founder of DFA, on what's really important regarding the big picture of investing. John Bogle, founder of Vanguard, would've agreed. "I have worked [...]

As everybody gets back into their routines, and hopefully recovering from that crazy cold/sinus/flu bug that snagged a few of us, it's time to acknowledge a 'first' and do a little celebrating. The following article is a composite from several business and market resources. As the old saying goes, numbers don't lie - though sometimes we like them and sometimes we don't. And last year, everybody that had money properly invested did very well. Let's look. "America is having its greatest stock market rally ever! The [...]