Knowing What Not To Do | Financial Perspectives
Stocks are down. Bonds are down. Inflation is up. There is a war in Europe. When nothing feels certain, what should investors do? One of the things we can do is pay attention to something else.
Investors Must Be Present to Win
For weeks, the major indices had been declining but in mid-March, we saw a very abrupt reversal. I’m often reminded of the familiar saying “Investors must be present to win.” In other words, the price (or cost) of admission to the investment experience is market volatility.
What to Do & What Not to Do in Response to Russia-Ukraine War
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Pictures and video coming from Ukraine are difficult to watch. As humans, we may be angered and ask, “How can I help?” In investing, typically the best thing to do in the moments when we are most tempted to do “something,” is simply to sit still.
Q1 Wrap Up: Ukraine, Inflation, Interest Rates | Financial Perspectives
The first quarter of 2022 is in the books and once again, surprising events dominated the news. Russia invading Ukraine and the continued climb in inflation were the focus of attention and for good reason. In this week's Financial Perspectives, we'll take a look at what is happening in markets and the global economy and what investors may want to know.
Webinar: Uncertainty in Ukraine (and Beyond)
How do we deal with uncertainty in a globally connected world? Uncertainty is nothing new. It's an ongoing factor in global markets that can be embraced and often managed in investment portfolios. In this webinar, we will cover: potential impacts of Russia and Ukraine on your portfolio, the ripple effects of the war on inflation, interest rates, oil, and continuing market volatility, thoughts on what you could consider doing now, and updates regarding ongoing developments.
Market Madness
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
There is just something about the NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournament. There is tremendous excitement in many families and workplaces as tournament brackets are filled in with predictions about the outcomes of 67 games over a three-week period.
Why Index Funds Don’t Work for Some People
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Index funds are popular investment tools for good reason. They are low cost, effective ways to capture market return. Choosing to use index funds is only half the battle though; you must use them correctly to truly benefit.
Is the Stock Market a Glass Half Full?
The month of January was marked by negative returns for global stock markets. But, as the well-worn phrase, “Is your glass half full or half empty?” implies, our view of, or the way we feel about the state of markets as investors, may be more related to our personal dispositions than what the numbers indicate.
Chart of the Month – Feb 2022
Market declines are never enjoyable in the moment. But these kinds of intra-year pull backs are normal when looking at market history.
April 26, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Markets have been reaching some all-time highs recently. US stock markets, foreign stock markets, even newer assets like bitcoin, SPACs, and NFTs have been soaring much of the past six months. At these relatively high values more than a few skeptics are predicting a fall. Some say correction – a temporary minor adjustment; some say crash – major problem ahead. Is there a reason to be acrophobic – fearful about markets at record heights?
Taking the Long View in a Short-Term World
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
One of the primary roles we play as financial advisors is to help our clients remember to take the long-view.
April 12, 2021 Financial Perspectives
One of my favorite comedians has always been Steve Martin. One of his funnier routines was “let’s get small.” Lately small company stocks have been outperforming their large company counterparts and it’s hard not to notice. What is a small company and why the outperformance recently?
What a Difference a Year Makes
On March 23, 2020, the S&P 500 tumbled another 3%, culminating a near 34% drop over that same month. The Dow Jones hovered around 19,000. Gains from the past few years were gone.
March 22, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Many indicators say the US and global economy are growing at rates faster than expected. Most of this is welcome news given the past 12 months. But is there a danger the economy could overheat? Inflation continues to be on the minds of some, should it be on yours as well?
YOLO, Meme, and EMH: What’s Your Investment Style?
Guest Blogger, Marlena Lee, PhD. While it’s not the intended victim of the YOLO traders, will the efficient market hypothesis be a casualty of these events? The answer depends a lot on your definition of efficient markets.
It’s Worth the Trip!
We had completed our hike successfully, and the challenges made it more memorable and satisfying. The same is true for all of us as investors.
Do Small Company Stocks Like New Presidents?
In the three months since Joe Biden was elected President of the United States, small company stocks have risen more than 30%. Four years ago, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States and small company stocks went up almost 20% in the twenty-six days surrounding the election, from November 3rd to December 9th. Do small company stock investors just like new Presidents?
February 22, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Every week it seems there is a new story about which investment, which “trade”, is making amazing money. Each new story brings a sense of urgency, act quickly before it’s too late. You can’t afford to miss out on this one. There are at least 3 important risks investors should pay attention to, some are urgent, some are important, some are both, some are neither.
My Favorite Blog Posts and Podcast Episodes from 2020
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Many of my favorite content pieces from 2020 reflect on the themes of uncertainty, risk, change, and remaining optimistic in the face of unsettling circumstances.
February 8, 2021 Financial Perspectives
After 3 weeks of GameStop stories, it seems like the game may be stopping or at least slowing down. The question remaining is who made money and is the market any worse for wear when the dust settles.
January 29, 2021 Financial Perspectives
What game is being played between Reddit and Wall Street? This week we explore what's been going on with GameStop stock and how short selling works.