There has been a lot in the news recently about major investment brokerage firms eliminating trading fees. In the past, buying and selling stocks could be expensive – as much as $50 in commission fees to trade. Now, most of the major brokerage firms are advertising commission-free online trading for U.S stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), […]
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 […]
Media outlets are full of daily investing “advice” in the indistinguishable form of facts, opinions and even advertisement of financial products. Unfortunately, this “advice” often seems so convincing that investors feel the urge to take impulsive action. Often, these actions lead to costly investment mistakes. Here are a few tips to help keep your investment […]
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, […]
Are you worried about today’s financial climate? Wealth Advisor, Bruce Dzieza, said in a recent North Bay Business Journal interview that the key is developing “a plan that you can live with” before “life throws you a curveball.” He also gives tips on finding the right investment strategy, a level of risk you are comfortable […]
“Blood bath,” “Sell off,” “Spooked investors,” “Wild session,” “Stocks plunge,” “Crazy market swings.” These are just a few of the sensational phrases the financial media used last year to describe stock market activity. As a certified financial planning practitioner for over 20 years, I would argue that when the media reports hourly (or even daily) […]
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 […]
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 […]
We are sure you have already heard all about the “largest single-day point decline” for the Dow on Monday: down 1,175 points (or -4.6%). The dramatic headlines are all focusing on the “tremendous sell-off on Wall Street”, and market commentators are already taking credit for knowing that this was bound to happen because interest rates […]
LESSONS FOR THE NEXT CRISIS It will soon be the 10-year anniversary of when, in early October 2007, the S&P 500 Index hit what was its highest point before losing more than half its value over the next year and a half during the global financial crisis. Over the coming weeks and months, as other […]
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