Market Commentary | Willow Creek Wealth Management

Market Commentary: Spring 2020 – The CARES Act

April 15, 2020 Willow Creek Wealth Management

The CARES Act The following is a summary of major provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security “CARES” Act. The Act is a complex piece of legislation and it covers many areas; our focus will be on how it impacts individuals. We would welcome speaking to you about it and if it might […]

Market Commentary: Winter 2019 – The Difference in a Decade

January 15, 2020 Willow Creek Wealth Management

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DECADE MAKES At the end of 2019, the S&P 500 Index (which is comprised of a mix of 500 US large company stocks) was ascendant, with an average annualized return of +11.2% over the past ten years, and it finished 2019 with a one-year return of +31.5%. It was the best […]

Market Commentary: Fall 2019 – A Tale of Two Decades

October 15, 2019 Willow Creek Wealth Management

A Tale of Two Decades: Lessons for Long Term Investors The first decade of the 21st century, and the second one that’s drawing to a close, have reinforced for investors some timeless market lessons: returns can vary sharply from one period to another; holding a broadly diversified portfolio can help smooth out the swings; and, […]

Market Commentary: Summer 2019 – the Value Premium

July 16, 2019 Willow Creek Wealth Management

WILLOW CREEK AND THE VALUE PREMIUM Willow Creek Wealth Management adheres to a disciplined, evidence-based approach to our investing. One of the core elements to this approach is the conviction that value stocks (think companies that are currently out of style with the market) will generate higher returns than growth stocks (companies that are seen […]

Market Commentary: Spring 2019 – Lottery Odds

April 16, 2019 Willow Creek Wealth Management

LOTTERY WINNINGS At the end of the last quarter, it was announced that one lucky ticket holder had won a $768 million Powerball Lottery. In an instant that person’s life changed – if they received the lump sum payout (which is usually the right thing to do in these situations), they would get $477 million […]

Market Commentary: Winter 2018 – Control What You Can

January 11, 2019 Willow Creek Wealth Management

THE WILLOW CREEK PORTFOLIO: The US Market and Beyond As US-based investors, it is hard not to focus on the US stock market and think that it should be the sum of your returns: your portfolio should be up when the S&P 500 index is up and down when it is down. Sometimes that is […]

Market Commentary: Fall 2018 – Perception v. Reality

October 12, 2018 Willow Creek Wealth Management

DIVERSIFICATION – WHERE’S THE BENEFIT As the financial media shouts, “Stocks soar to new highs,” and promotes the strong performance of the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Index, investors may be asking “Where are my investment returns?” So far, 2018 has proven to be a year when all asset classes other than US Large […]

Market Commentary: Summer 2018 – Taxes and Charity

July 16, 2018 Willow Creek Wealth Management

TAX DEDUCTIONS AND CHARITABLE IMPACT The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in late 2017 is more than 500 pages long with detailed changes affecting many areas of the tax code. Aside from the reduction in federal tax rates, most taxpayers will be impacted by the higher standard deduction and changes in itemizing deductions. Here’s […]

Market Commentary: Spring 2018 – Volatility Happens

April 13, 2018 Willow Creek Wealth Management

RECENT MARKET VOLATILITY After a period of relative calm in the markets, the increase in volatility in the stock market has resulted in renewed anxiety for many investors. The US stock market fell more than 7% on two occasions (top-to-bottom) during this first quarter, resulting in many investors wondering what the future holds and if […]

Market Commentary: Winter 2017 – Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

January 15, 2018 Willow Creek Wealth Management

NEW TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT The much-touted new tax legislation became law just before the end of last year. The banner headline is a significant reduction in corporate tax rates, however, most of us are wondering how it will affect the “ordinary” taxpayer. One of the stated goals of the Tax Cuts and Jobs […]

Category: Market Commentary