Heated Politics, and Thinking Beyond “Stage One”
It’s no surprise that this year’s U.S. presidential race has become a subject of conversation around the globe. And it’s probably a fair assumption that the intensity will only increase as the November 8 election date nears.
We are by no means implying that you should ignore what is going on in the world around you. Politics and politicians regularly and directly affect many aspects of our lives. But as you think through this year’s raucous race, remember this:
The more heated the politics, the more important it is to establish and maintain
a well-planned, long-term approach to managing your investments. > SEE MORE
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Waypoint Wealth Management
Your Investment’s “Survival Rate” And Why It Matters To You
Pretend for a moment that you have a mild medical condition and you visit your doctor for advice. After looking you over and running tests, the doctor provides you with a recommendation. There is a new drug available, and she would like to prescribe it to you. The only issue is that there is a 50% chance of survival over the next 15 years. Would you take that advice?
Would you be surprised to know that there is a similar chance of survival with investments? The mutual fund/ETF industry is continually creating new products for the investor. Some of them, like the ones that we use at Waypoint, are intended to benefit the investor with lower than average costs, more tax efficiency than many others, and a very high chance that they’re built to last. Unfortunately for many, many other investments the goal is to make money off of you rather than for you. > SEE MORE
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Waypoint Wealth Management
“Trees Losing Their Leaves; Experts Say No End In Sight”
I pulled out my smartphone the other day to view some of the morning’s headlines while waiting for my chicken salad powerhouse wrap (detail added so that you knew I wasn’t driving while reading). Here’s the first line that showed up:
“Dow 20,000 is coming this year…”
My first thought was how funny this headline is. (By the way, for the wise investor who doesn’t track the Dow—the level is around 18,300 as of this writing). Can you imagine the news predicting such a higher market this year just weeks ago when the market sold off by almost 1,000 points (before coming back a few days later)?
This got me thinking about the equity market’s recent “all time high” that is continually making headlines (again). As investors, we have to be careful with what information we’re taking in, and how our perceptions can influence the expectations we have with our own portfolios. A little more than three years ago the same thing was being reported. As the market recouped all of its losses from the ’08-’09 downturn (on a point basis) and began to touch new levels that year, all we heard about was the market’s new high—each time it happened—until a more enticing headline came along.
It’s kind of like having the Baltimore Sun report front page news about how the leaves on trees surprisingly emerge with such brilliance—every single spring. I can see the paper now: “Leaves Are Back, And Greener Than They’ve Ever Been—But For How Long?!” …followed later in the year by the equally astonishing headline “Trees Losing Their Leaves; Experts Say There Is No End In Sight”. > SEE MORE
Posted by:
Pete Dixon, CFP®
Partner and Advisor
Our Perspective on Britain’s “Exit”
Britain’s decision to exit the European Union has brought with it all the expected trappings of a significant news event — projections of crazy market volatility, wild headlines and a fair dose of uncertainty about the long-term impact on the global economy and our individual financial lives here at home. Many questions immediately arise as we pay close attention to how the event will play out in the weeks and months to come. But our perspective is the same as it has always been in times like these. Your financial plan is built with diversification and your personal risk tolerance in mind — it’s designed to weather the ups and downs that inevitably follow significant world happenings. > SEE MORE
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Waypoint Wealth Management
Is Your Advice Good Enough?
In today’s climate of one-page financial plans, bargain-basement fund pricing and automated investment tools, you may wonder whether you need a living, breathing financial adviser.
We think you do, but with a twist. First, we need to redefine traditional financial advice – the kind that’s been delivered by those focused on issuing buy/sell recommendations, executing transactions, making you think they have the best investment product for you, and collecting their commissions. If that’s what you’re thinking of, you are correct. You don’t need that. You probably never did.
As we face continual changes with the markets, Social Security, taxes, etc., the welcome advances we referenced above are best thought of as augmenting rather than replacing the solid advice most investors still sorely need to see their way through to a rewarding retirement.
So, what is “good advice”? > SEE MORE
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