“Past performance is not indicative of future results.” Most people think of investing when they hear or read the sentence above, the ultimate statement of caution. What do you think of this statement when it comes to baseball?
How Do Treasuries Lose Money? US Treasury bonds are generally regarded as safe. Sometimes they’re referred to as “risk-free” assets. This is a bit of a misnomer.
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.
Like in golf, planning for retirement is a game that requires strategy, focus, and a bit of finesse.
With the biggest tech companies regaining stock market leadership, it’s understandable why investors and the media are attracted to these stocks. However, it’s tempting to forget how these same companies’ stock prices performed in 2022. This week, Kent Kramer shares some investment lessons to be learned from this AI/big tech story.
Has this been a worrying or boring month in investment markets? Has it been a volatile last four weeks reflecting the narrative in the news media? This week, Kent Kramer introduces framing theory and how we may apply this to investment markets.
Money is emotional and our “news” cycle is a catalyst. Investors react to what they hear and how they feel, oftentimes to their own detriment.
Politics are always in the news. Right now, we're hearing a lot about the debt ceiling and the need to increase the US debt ceiling so the government can pay their bills ... or maybe not. This week, Kent Kramer provides an overview of debt ceiling history and what we are seeing today.
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.
