Shoes and Unexpected Upturns
There’s an old story that I love about two shoe salesmen that are sent to Africa by the company they work for to review the potential growth opportunities in this new land. Upon returning, one of them has sour news. “No one has any shoes,” he despondently reports. The other salesman, however, has a different viewpoint and exclaims “Great news! No one is wearing any shoes!”
With a return of -4.9%, the month of January was the ninth lowest on record for the S&P 500, dating back to 1926. So far in February, the index has retracted by another -4.5% as of this writing. The perspective that we have during times like these can have an impact on how we feel about our money and possibly even how we invest. The urge to do something to take advantage of volatility or to try and avoid more potential loss isn’t just limited to the average investor. There are also many advisors that attempt to weave and dodge during times like these. > SEE MORE
Posted by:
Pete Dixon, CFP®
Partner and Advisor
Market Downturns: Always Common / Sometimes Painful
If you’ve paid any attention to the news recently, you can’t escape the coverage of the stock market and how it started 2016 by retreating back to levels not seen since last August. > SEE MORE
Posted by:
Waypoint Wealth Management
Using Factors To Lower Risk
Many investors today are confronting what could be considered a “perfect storm” that is creating strong head winds against the pursuit of higher expected returns. So far, we have discussed the main factors currently working against investors, as well as some steps they might consider taking to help combat this problem. > SEE MORE
Posted by:
The BAM Alliance
What’s all the fuss with the Fed (and what does it mean for you)?
Since December 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) has held the federal funds rate at zero percent, seeking to bolster an ailing economy in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Economists agree that the position is unusual, and highly unlikely to go on forever. Then again, they’ve been agreeing on that for seven years. Each year, the Fed has had eight opportunities to ease into rate increases, and they haven’t yet. > SEE MORE
Posted by:
Waypoint Wealth Management
Evidence? What Evidence?
In January of this year, I visited one of the leading organizations that practices ‘evidence-based investing’, Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). This visit came about after 11 months of research on this new (for me) way of investing. After learning as much as I could on the topic, I was convinced that it adds value for the long-term investor and began discussing and implementing their strategies with clients. > SEE MORE
Posted by:
Pete Dixon, CFP®
Partner and Advisor