The Top Ten Money Excuses

Human beings have an astounding facility for self-deception when it comes to our own money. We tend to rationalize our own fears. So instead of just recognizing how we feel and reflecting on the thoughts that creates, we cut out the middle man and construct the façade of a logical-sounding argument over a vague feeling. These arguments are often elaborate, […]

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Client Letter – Q3 2012

During the past quarter, the world-wide equity markets performed fairly well, helping our 1-year returns look very strong.  The chart below shows the 3-month, 1-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 ending September 30, 2012  DFA Fund / Index  3 Month Return  1 Year Return […]

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Another Wall of Worry

Stock prices rallied sharply around the world in the third quarter, with forty-two out of forty-five countries tracked by MSCI showing positive returns in US dollar terms. Total return exceeded 10% in nineteen different markets, while Ireland, Japan, and Morocco registered minor losses. For the twelve-month period ending September 30, 2012, forty markets had positive returns, with six countries—including the […]

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Do not go into retirement without addressing the risks

Retirement can be the most exciting and rewarding time of all, but, like any other stage in life, there are unique financial risks that need to be addressed. Longevity, inflation, health care needs, the death of a spouse, problems with living independently—all can affect a retiree’s quality of life. Changes in laws and social welfare programs can have dramatic effects on a […]

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Knightmare on Wall Street

Question: Which of the following statements applies to last week’s stock market behavior? Computer errors at a major trading firm generated millions of faulty trades, causing dramatic and puzzling price swings in dozens of stocks Wednesday morning. A New York Times columnist fumed that “Wall Street has created its own Frankenstein. The machines are now in charge.” Stocks on the fifty-two-week new […]

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Trying to avoid risk can be very costly

Some investors today are doing what worried investors always seem to do in times of stress—trying to avoid “risk” by buying the “safest” assets. In this case that has meant buying government bonds from the United States, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and other countries considered safe havens. Panic buying has pushed yields in some cases to negative levels, meaning investors […]

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What will the presidential election do to the market?

Spoiler alert: You are about to hear what effects this year’s Presidential election may have on the U.S. stock market six months down the road. Are you ready? The answer is probably not much. That’s right: a hotly contested election pitting competing economic policies against each other in a time of world  financial crisis probably will make little difference to […]

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