First quarter earnings season kicks off this week with some big banks reporting toward the end of the week. In some ways this quarter’s earnings season will probably be déjà vu all over again— earnings declines and cautious guidance, reductions in estimates, but better than feared. However, tightened financial conditions in the wake of last […]
A Resilient March
Dear Valued Investor, The financial markets’ resilient performance during March was striking, despite pockets of uncertainty surrounding the strength of the economy—and not to mention concerns over the durability of the banking system. The ability of the market to navigate nearly two weeks of headline-related risk tested the underlying resolve of the market’s capacity to […]
How to Teach Your Children Financial Wellness
Teaching children about financial wellness should start at an early age. Learning how making money, saving, and spending is related and the first step in teaching your child how to understand the value of money. Children learn from parents, mentors, and even their friends. Ensure you provide them with basic tools for financial wellness. Here […]
6 Money Myths That Are Limiting Your Wealth
When people think of “myths,” they often think of such stories as Pandora’s Box (the woman who took the lid off of a jar releasing all of the world’s ills upon the world, were taxes one of them?), or the Tale of Prometheus (who stole fire from his fellow gods to give to humans […]
4 Tips for Building a Strong Professional Relationship With Your Financial Professional
Choosing a financial professional is a major decision. Finding someone you trust enough to manage your money and your future may feel like a nerve-wracking choice. Fortunately, by doing some preliminary research and asking tough questions, you might find someone who is a decent choice. Here are four tips to help you build a […]
5 Social Security Benefits You Might Be Missing Out On
Most people know that once they approach retirement age, their reward for years of work comes from Social Security payments they put money towards during their employment. Deciding when to file for your Social Security payments is likely what you may focus on, but there are some other Social Security benefits you may be […]
Enduring Market Volatility With a Financial Plan
If you hope to retire soon and are concerned about what the future may hold for your investments, you are not alone. Inflation has many retirees and soon-to-be retirees worried about outliving their savings and investments.1 What might you do to survive and even thrive during volatile markets? A financial plan may help you […]
Wading Through Financial Stability Risks: An Action Plan
The Federal Reserve (Fed) has a history of raising short-term interest rates until something “breaks.” Considering the Fed has raised rates from a near-zero level to 4.75% (upper bound) over the course of only one year, it was almost a near certainty this time would be no different. Recent bank failures suggest things are indeed […]
Latest Equity Asset Allocation Views
Last week did not play out how we anticipated. Coming into the week, it was all about Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony and the February jobs report. Instead, we got a shockingly fast collapse of a financial institution with over $200 billion in assets, which turned the market’s focus toward the stability […]
SVB Collapse
Dear Valued Investor, Financial markets were shaken last week as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group (SIVB), fell into FDIC receivership. SVB is the first FDIC-insured institution to fail since 2020 and the largest by assets since Washington Mutual failed in 2008. Prior to the latest distress, the bank […]