Client Letter – Q3 2010
During the past quarter, we have witnessed an amazing 3-month rebound, in stark contrast to what happened in the prior quarter. In fact, the month of September will go down in history as the strongest ...
Investing based on recent trends is an invitation to disappointment
Published: September 30, 2010As decision makers we spend a lot of time wallowing in the past. We project recent trends forward, expecting things will pretty much go on as they have been. Unfortunately, this tendency, termed “recency ...
Offered a high yield? Run the other way
Published: September 30, 2010Low interest rates at the bank and scary volatility in investment markets has created a market for shady high yield investment programs (HYIPs) that prey on unsophisticated investors, warns the Financial ...
Investors expect too much of brokers and insurance agents
Published: September 30, 2010Three of four investors have unrealistic expectations of the level of care that financial advisors at brokerage firms are required to give. Seventy-six percent of investors said “financial advisors” ...
With interest rates so low, where do you put cash now?
Published: July 30, 2010Savers have been frustrated by super-low short-term interest rates since the 2008 financial crisis forced central banks worldwide to slash rates. Despite forecasts that government stimulus spending and ...
It’s a great time to buy stocks, says noted financial historian
Published: July 30, 2010One of this country’s preeminent financial economists and historians believes the stock market is a great buy today. In fact, when compared to similar periods over the last 200 years of stock market ...
Client Letter – Q2 2010
By Christopher M. Jones, CFP® | Published: July 9, 2010During the past quarter, global stock markets ended their year-long rally and experienced their first major correction since the crash of 2008. Despite strong corporate earnings reports, global investors ...
‘Flash crash’ of May 6 exposes the dangers of ETF trading
Published: May 31, 2010On May 6, the stock market suffered a massive drop in stock prices that took the Dow Jones Industrial Average down by 1,000 points in a matter of minutes before recovering much of the loss. Although market ...
REITS provide portfolio diversification
Published: May 31, 2010Investors who own a typical stock and bond portfolio don’t have to go too far to find a handy diversifier. Shares of real estate investment trusts are traded on the major exchanges just like any ...
How to succeed in retirement: Stocks and 4 percent withdrawals
Published: May 31, 2010How to invest a nest egg and what is a safe withdrawal rate are the two biggest questions for anyone in or near retirement. Although the answers are far from simple, a lot of recent academic research continues ...