Does war in Israel mean a big market meltdown? It’s hard to escape the war news. One way to think about the future is by looking at the past for similar circumstances.
It is hard to escape the news of war in Israel. And it is not unusual for investors to wonder about possible impacts the war may have on markets. This week, Kent Kramer analyzes returns of foreign and US stock markets during years when Israel has been at war.
Nearly four out of ten Americans lack enough money to cover an unexpected $400 expense? The statistics on this have remained consistent over the years. One of the first steps in building a strong financial foundation is creating an emergency fund. The idea is to prepare for the unexpected expenses of life.
Have you ever said to yourself “If I would have just bought that stock, I would be set!” Or “How did I not see this coming? I was watching this stock years ago!” Or maybe “I should have never sold that stock!”
Why is short-termism a curse for investors? How can you overcome it by focusing on the big picture? This week, Kent Kramer explains how to avoid the pitfalls of recency bias and market noise.
In our family, we have a tradition in which, the night before our kids’ birthdays, we pause for a moment to recap the last year by reminiscing about their successes and failures. It dawned on me that these are the same feelings investors experience and learn from on their financial journeys.
There's a lot of uncertainty in the world. Investors are asking, "What should I be doing in my portfolio right now based on what is happening in the world?" This week, Kent Kramer looks at five key investment ideas to help determine if your approach is reflecting the things that are most important.
Takeaways from a smattering of the headlines across a wide range of news sources in 2022 and early 2023.
As a financial advisor for the past 28 years, I’ve been asked about real estate hundreds of times. Every type of real estate carries pros and cons, risks and rewards.
In investing, a key consideration is the time horizon. There is a general perception that investing is a risky proposition, but this risk can be mitigated by holding investments for longer periods.
There's a lot of talk in the news about recession. Are we in one? Is there one coming? How long or how deep might that recession be? This week, Kent Kramer walks us through what different economists think might occur.
Fear can grab us and demand a response, such that fear itself can become the real danger. This week, Kent Kramer explores how fear and bad news can impact investing and some simple steps you could consider to avoid emotional investing.
"Why would anyone buy a 5-year bond at 3.5% when you could get a 1-year bond at 4%?"
"Why don't I put all my money in a 4-month T-bill and make 4.9%?"
As the NCAA tournament wraps up, many sports fans are reflecting on their brackets, winning their office pools, and bragging rights with friends. Similarly, others focus on their investments and trying to predict which stocks will perform the best. We may think of these as two separate worlds, but there are numerous similarities between the two.
With the banking industry and markets continuing to be leading topics in the news, many investors are asking, “What is going on? Is this something to be worried about? Should I be taking action?” In this special edition of Financial Perspectives, Matt Abels and Jim Plagge, President & CEO of Bank Iowa, provide context and insights to those questions.
With the banking industry and markets continuing to be leading topics in the news, many investors are asking, “What is going on? Is this something to be worried about? Should I be taking action?” In this special edition of Financial Perspectives, Matt Abels and Michael Westphal provide context and insights to those questions. Tune in next week for part two, where we’ll be joined by Jim Plagge, President and CEO of Bank Iowa.
Is there conclusive evidence that one sector is better than another when it comes to returns?
If you’re a young professional, negative market returns can carry less weight than you might think. Let’s use 2022 as an example.
Recently, a client asked me about sectors. What are they? And how do they fit into a portfolio?
As we head into 2023, the question we get most often is, "What's next for markets and what can we expect in our portfolios?" This week, Kent Kramer and Ryne Oller try to answer just that.
