March 20, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
In this Foster Group update, Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer discusses current circumstances in the bond market.
May 1, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
0:58 - The Week in Review
3:54 - March vs. April Markets
5:17 - Historical Look at the S&P 500
7:03 - Economy is Not the Market
3:54 - March vs. April Markets
5:17 - Historical Look at the S&P 500
7:03 - Economy is Not the Market
May 29, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
0:55 - This Week's News
2:39 - This Week's Financial Highlights
4:36 - Why Is the Stock Market Up When the Economy Is Down?
5:12 - Stock Prices Are Forward Looking
8:06 - Average Returns After Downturns Have Been Positive
2:39 - This Week's Financial Highlights
4:36 - Why Is the Stock Market Up When the Economy Is Down?
5:12 - Stock Prices Are Forward Looking
8:06 - Average Returns After Downturns Have Been Positive
May 15, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
0:58 - Recap of the News this Week
2:14 - Market Results for the Week
3:01 - What Companies Will Do Best Coming Out of the Crisis?
3:40 - Quality and Growth
7:04 - Growth or Value
9:32 - Growth or Value or Something Else?
2:14 - Market Results for the Week
3:01 - What Companies Will Do Best Coming Out of the Crisis?
3:40 - Quality and Growth
7:04 - Growth or Value
9:32 - Growth or Value or Something Else?
April 24, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Kent gives a quick recap of market performance so far this year and why it’s important for investors to stay invested. He also takes a look at the oil price shock and how oil and energy prices have affected the economy historically.
Index vs. Active – Tracking the Costs
Category: Investing
Foster Group Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer, discusses the various costs associated with Active and Index Investing.
Coronavirus Worries Drive Economic Uncertainty and Stock Market Declines
Category: Investing
In this 20 minute webinar, Foster Group's Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer, explains how the market has responded to the coronavirus outbreak and how investors should react to the recent market declines.
February 22, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
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.
March 22, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
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?
April 12, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
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?
April 26, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
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?
May 10, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Daniel Wallick joins us from Vanguard for a two-part interview on our bi-monthly Financial Perspectives. This first part centers on interest rates, inflation, and the bond market. Are you wondering about what part bonds play in your portfolio and what do interest rates and potential inflation have to do with that?
How to Avoid Tyrannically Urgent Yet Unimportant Investment Ideas
Category: Investing
As we’ll see, each of these are real risks, because if they are unmanaged or unanticipated, they may cause investors to focus on the wrong things at the wrong times and lead to actions that may sabotage goals and portfolios.
May 24, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
This week Kent Kramer talks with Daniel Wallick from Vanguard for part two of our interview. This second part focuses on constructing a portfolio, different types of primary goals, and comparing your success to others’.
June 7, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
It’s summertime and we have two summer’s worth of movies to look forward to after 2020’s reduced calendar. AMC, a company that runs movie theaters has seen their stock value go way up in the past few weeks. Is this about great movies or something else?
This week Kent Kramer talks about two different valuation theories: Firm Foundation Theory and Castle-in-the-air Theory.
Four Dimensional Mutual Funds Will Be Converted to Exchange Traded Funds on June 11th
Category: Investing
Four Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) mutual funds that are held in after-tax accounts managed by Foster Group at Schwab and TD Ameritrade will be converted by DFA to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on Friday, June 11th.
Are You Afraid of (Market) Heights?
Category: Investing
Investors have been experiencing some fear of heights recently. Many stocks and stock markets are at or near all-time highs. So, here’s the question investors need to ask themselves today, ”Do you think that stock markets 26 years from now will be higher or lower than they are currently, even if today is an all-time high?”
What’s Your Best Buy: Firm Foundation or Castle In the Air?
Category: Investing
If an investor could discover the true worth of a company, a piece of real estate or even an idea, where “true worth” equated to the future value or price that others would pay, success would be almost certain to follow. Those opportunities that were priced significantly lower than the future value would be automatic buys. The one’s with higher prices today than the future price would be ones to avoid. If only it were that simple!
August 24, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Is it possible to be too smart? Can a problem or set of circumstances be overanalyzed? Is there such a thing as too much information? There’s some evidence out there that this is indeed possible! Kent Kramer shares our perspective on what’s been happening in and around financial markets recently and what we think successful investors should be thinking about – without overthinking it!