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.
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?
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 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?
How the “Little Guy” Really Wins in the Market
Don’t believe the lie that you don’t belong or that the keys belong to someone who won’t give them to you.
How to Avoid Tyrannically Urgent Yet Unimportant Investment Ideas
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
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.
Decoding Crypto(currency) Webinar, June 3, 2021
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Are you curious about all the buzz around Cryptocurrency? What is it and should you consider investing in it? Tune in to our on-demand webinar where Kent Kramer, Jason Brown, and Ryne Oller dive into decoding cryptocurrency.
June 7, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Alternative Investments
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.
Are You Afraid of (Market) Heights?
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?”
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What Does It Mean to Be an Investor? – Part One
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
For a minute, I want to think broadly about the question, “What does it mean to be an investor?”
Are You Checking Your Accounts Every Day? Stop it.
Does it help or harm the average long-term investor to peek at their own accounts or pay attention to the market every day?