Investors 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 other stock. However, unlike other stocks that represent ownership of companies, REITS offer ownership in commercial real estate. They give shareholders access to a steady […]
How 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 to shed light and offer guidance to the perplexed. The uncertainties of future inflation, investment market returns, and individual life expectancy can […]
During the past quarter, we are happy to report that the market recovery that started in March 2009 has continued. U.S. small stocks and real estate investment trusts had the best performance for the quarter, earning about 10% during the last 3 months. Large U.S. stocks and international small stocks earned about 5% during this time. Take some time to […]
Many investors are worried about the declining position of the United States in the global economy. The dollar has been on a long-term downtrend, federal budget deficits and international trade deficits keep going up, and the country has lost many of its basic industries to overseas competitors. While disconcerting, these trends offer plenty of opportunity to an investor because their […]
We have been hearing the hype for over a year: the 10-year period from 2000 through 2009 was a “lost decade” for stock market investors, featuring two large bear markets and a cumulative loss on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index of 9 percent. It is true that some investors did not have a good experience over the last 10 […]
As he works to expand his business in Las Vegas, financial planner Christopher M. Jones maintains strong ties to his Pennsylvania client base. Read the Full Article
During the past year, we have seen an amazing recovery from the financial crash of 2008, especially when you look at your investment returns since the low point in March 2009. The following chart shows the 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year performance of many DFA funds (representing different asset classes) compared to the S&P 500 Index: Market Returns for the period […]