2020: A Predictor’s Kryptonite

At the end of 2019, Foster Group’s Investment Strategy Group wanted to create an object lesson to illustrate how hard it is to predict what will happen in financial markets and the world in general.

Elections and Your Money Q&A

Since we were unable to answer all of the questions asked during the live webinar, we'd like to share some of the questions and answers in written form.

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?

Embracing Uncertainty

Educated optimism is an antidote for anxious uncertainty, and it can be of great help in enabling investors to embrace the uncertainty that is with us all the time.

Predictable Mistakes

We believe that investors increase their chances of success by avoiding predictable mistakes, those practices that sound like they should work but have been shown time and again to have very low probabilities of success.

Wrong Thinking on Election & Markets

Kent Kramer examines the effects of an election season on investors. Drawing on historical data and behavioral economics, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing cognitive biases and staying optimistic.

“My Portfolio is Doing Well / Poor Compared to What?”

Merriam Webster defines a benchmark as “something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged”. For investors, the question to ask is what should be my standard, my benchmark, in determining the success or failure of my overall investment portfolio?

Diversifying Away the Troubles with Tariffs

How do tariffs impact your investment portfolio? Kent Kramer takes a look at the latest tariff policies, market volatility, and why diversification is key to managing uncertainty.

Am I OK? Building Income Safety Into Your Portfolio

Market periods like these have a way of making virtually everyone ask the questions, "Am I okay? Is my financial plan going to survive these latest seismic events?" Kent Kramer looks at historical worst-case scenarios and how they could be used to inform your financial plan.

Markets Move. So Should You.

The primary reason for portfolio rebalancing is to maintain the risk profile of the policy portfolio that the client has chosen. However, periodic rebalancing has the added benefit of ?buying low? and ?selling high?.