Chart of the Month – Mar 2023
Category: Investing » Diversification
Is there conclusive evidence that one sector is better than another when it comes to returns?
Chart of the Month – March 2024
Many people are apprehensive about the markets, whether we’re in a bear market or a bull market. The fear of a market correction is always present.
Chart of the Month – May 2022
Since the beginning of 2020, checkable deposits have quadrupled, giving consumers the ability to continue spending and withstand increased prices. What does this mean for inflation and prices in the future?
Chart of the Month – May 2023
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.
Chart of the Month – May 2024
While cash may offer stability and security in the short term, the DFA Returns Web chart from 1926 through February 2024 suggests that the growth potential in stocks offers a higher rewarding investment opportunity in the long run.
Chart of the Month – Nov 2022
The past fifteen years have been phenomenal for U.S. stocks. They've outperformed international stocks by close to 200%. Unfortunately, no one can predict when international stocks will outperform U.S. stocks, or vice-versa.
Chart of the Month – Nov 2023
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.
Chart of the Month – Oct 2022
Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
As an investor, perspective is important. At the end of the day, a diversified, low cost, properly allocated portfolio based on your financial plan is what matters.
Chart of the Month – Oct 2023
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!”
Do Headlines Cause You to Take Action?
Takeaways from a smattering of the headlines across a wide range of news sources in 2022 and early 2023.
Do I Have Portfolio Exposure to China?
In recent weeks, China has been a part of US financial headlines for a number of reasons. At Foster Group, we believe in globally diversified model portfolios. We invest our equity portfolios across domestic markets, international markets, and emerging markets. Our models have equity exposure to over 51 countries.
Do Simple Better
A focus on the fundamentals is not just good advice for the sports world. It applies to many areas of our lives and certainly our finances.
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?
Do You Have a Financial Caddy?
Category: Financial Planning
A professional golfer would be incomplete without his or her Caddy. The same is true for you and your finances. I believe a good financial plan is incomplete without a Caddy, aka a Financial Advisor, to help you navigate life.
Do You Have an All-Weather Portfolio?
While no portfolio is designed to perfectly handle every scenario, we believe that thoughtful planning, combined with evidence-based portfolio construction, can help investors achieve a higher probability for long-term success in various market conditions.
Doctors Overlook These Five Contract Areas at Their Own Peril
Category: Financial Planning
Five key areas doctors need to carefully evaluate in their contract. Overlooking “The Big Five” can have major financial and professional consequences.
Does Your Workplace Cultivate a Championship Team?
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
I recently listened to a podcast called, “Invest Like the Best, with Patrick O’Shaughnessy”. The podcast is based on an article written by Michael Lewis in the New York Times Magazine back in 2009, about Shane Battier, a professional basketball player who was the ultimate teammate.
Don’t Borrow from Your Future Self
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
While each person has different long-term goals, a common future desire that exists for most people is retirement. There's a day coming when you won't want to, or can’t, work anymore, and your income will need to be replaced. This is a huge “future self” liability that has to be considered.
Don’t Leave Your Last Round to Chance
I certainly would argue that building a business is more than just a dice game, but both involve risk. How you fill out your scoresheet in Yahtzee is a good example of what business owners might decide to do with their business profits.