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.

Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon and Wings Level

We often get asked by clients about different ideas they heard from a friend, a new exclusive deal they got invited into, or, most frequently, a specific company or stock that a friend gave them the scoop on. The reality is that a lot of the “great ideas and deals” never amount to any real return, and many end up going to zero. 

June 8, 2020 Financial Perspectives

1:45 - Last Week's News
3:06 - Last Week's Financial Highlights
4:40 - How Will the US Pay for All This New Debt Spending?
7:54 - What Does GDP Mean for the Stock Market?

June 7, 2021 Financial Perspectives

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.

June 22, 2020 Financial Perspectives

0:45 - News: June 15th – June 19th, 2020
2:49 - Markets: June 15th – June 19th, 2020
3:47 - What Is a REIT?
4:28 - How Have REITs Been Impacted So Far in 2020?
5:14 - REIT Sectors & YTD Returns
6:55 - A Closer Look at Office REITs

June 21, 2021 Financial Perspectives

As investors we are bombarded with continuous news on the stock market and bonds. We think it can be helpful to take a step back and ask the question: are the indexes on the financial media a proper point of reference for you?

How Much Should I Have in Stocks? | Financial Perspectives

Many people like the idea of higher expected returns that stocks may produce, but the higher return potential comes with more risk. This week, Kent Kramer walks us through a possible approach to understanding how much of your portfolio could be invested in stocks.

How Much Should Associations Hold in Reserve Assets?

A common question among nonprofit associations is how much they should hold in reserve assets. There is a “rule of thumb” that associations should hold six months of operating expenses in reserve. Is this common rule of thumb common practice?

How Elections Affect the Market

A bit of history helps bring some perspective to trying to read too much into the influence of elections on stock markets. 

How Can Investors Benefit from Higher Rates? | Financial Perspectives

With inflation and interest rates rising, are there any silver linings for investors? One DIY US government bond investment you may not have heard about will soon be yielding over 9%. This week, Kent Kramer takes a look at I Bonds, what is happening in markets and the global economy, and what investors may want to know.

Having Faith When It’s Scary

Market volatility can sometimes be downright scary. The other day, I read that the quarter ending June 30th was the 16th worst quarter in the history of the stock market. Even worse, the first quarter was bad too, making it one of the very worst six-month periods in nearly a century. How does an investor respond?

Happy New Year? | Financial Perspectives

Market returns for the first three weeks of 2022 have not been full of happy reports. US stocks, especially some of the biggest names and winners of 2020 and 2021 have fallen into what is called “correction” territory. Is inflation and the concern with rising interest rates the whole story?