Another Interest Rate Drop and Progress in U.S.-China Trade (for Now)

Many investors recouped losses from August thanks to perceived progress in the U.S.-China trade saga and the Federal Reserve dropping their short-term interest rate another 0.25% to 2.00%. While investor sentiment waxed and waned…

The Trade War Drags on and the Yield Curve Inverts

August was a mixed bag of emotions as volatility spiked in the market, fueled by trade war escalations (and de-escalations), global growth concerns, and the infamous yield curve officially inverting for the first time since 2007.

The Constant Tension: Risk vs. Return

When I was studying to obtain the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, one of the first definitions I had to memorize was the meaning of risk–the possibility of loss. Risk is everywhere in our world, and as your advisors it is our job to help you identify these risks and find the most effective means to reduce or eliminate them.

2017 Year End Market Update

2017 is now in the books. It’s always fun to look at predictions made one year ago and see how they measured up to reality.

Investment Update

What is usually a quieter summer period was rudely interrupted by more geo-political drama and extreme weather events. Nevertheless, overall good news in economic data from Europe, UK, Japan, and Brazil helped markets continue to creep up. At the time of this publication, US Stocks are rallying to all-time highs. The S&P 500 Index (large US companies) is up 14.24% YTD while international holdings are up 19.17% according to the MSCI World ex-USA index.