Hot Takes with a Long-Term Point-of-View

When it comes to investing, tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla comprise the Magnificent Seven. If these seven “magnificent” companies manage to stay at the top of the market, that’s no assurance that higher returns will continue.

We design portfolios using evidence-backed investment strategies that demonstrate that more trades don’t translate into higher returns or more value.

This is a time when college graduates enter the workforce, and their parents can focus on saving for retirement. Compound savings can help you pursue a lifetime of financial goals.

With so much uncertainty in the air, it’s important to stay informed and take appropriate steps to make sure your bank deposits are protected.

While every client’s plan is a bit different, focusing on the following time-tested principles may help you avoid making shortsighted missteps.

The swift collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week has reverberated through the banking industry, scaring regional bank customers and sharply lowering stock prices for this sector.

Think back to December 2019. The economy was humming. Unemployment, interest rates, and inflation were at historically low levels. But then what happened?

One of our two most-popular asset allocations is the 60% stock and 40% bond portfolio.

Summer 2022 Investors can always expect uncertainty. While volatile periods like the one we’re experiencing now can be intense, investors who learn to embrace uncertainty

Stock market slides over a few days or months may lead investors to anticipate a down year. But that fallacy is easily disproven by examining

We believe that the most effective way to mitigate the risk of unexpected events is through broad diversification and a flexible, systematic, and active investment process. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an important reminder that geopolitical risk is part of investing in global markets.

Investors are often conflicted about record-high stock prices. They are pleased to see their existing equity holdings gain in value but apprehensive that higher prices

Most people have heard the terms “Bull Market” and “Bear Market.” Some even know what the terms mean. But the history of where they actually originated is unclear.

David Booth, Executive Chairman and Founder of Dimensional, writes about the differences between index investing and Dimensional Investing.

A few clients have asked about how climate change may affect their portfolio, and what we as advisors can do to mitigate risks. Will today’s macro global trends change how the market behaves in the future?

Recently, investors have banded together on unconventional platforms to drive up the prices of a handful of “meme stocks,” seemingly without traditional evaluation of investing risks and rewards.

One major theme of the year was the perceived disconnect between markets and the economy. How could the equity markets recover and reach new highs when the economic news remained so bleak?

Harvesting tax losses is a brilliant wealth-creating technique. Selling your loss positions is a sure way to offset gains realized during the year and stockpile

Here is an interactive graphic showing economic and stock market data for each president since Hoover in 1929.

With activity in many industries sharply curtailed in an effort to reduce the chances of spreading the coronavirus, some economists say a recession has already begun.

The world is watching with concern the spread of the new coronavirus. The uncertainty is being felt around the globe, and it is unsettling on a human level as well as from the perspective of how markets respond.

Regardless of the cycle we’re in, we believe that fear and greed are two emotions that should be kept out of your investment decisions.

We encourage you to separate the two by taking action to protect your health, and resisting the temptation to take hasty action when it comes to your portfolio.

U.S. stocks fell sharply on March 9, bringing us closer to bear market territory. While we don’t yet have a grasp on the human toll of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic—or the measures to halt or mitigate its spread—the markets are reeling.

Being bombarded with data and headlines presented as impactful to your financial well-being can evoke strong emotional responses from even the most experienced investors.

It’s not unusual for the stock market to be a topic of conversation at holiday get-togethers and other social gatherings. The lure of getting in at the right time or avoiding the next downturn can tempt even disciplined, long-term investors.

While these 10 questions are not intended to be an exhaustive assessment, it will hopefully shed light on a few key data- and reason-based principles that may help improve your odds of investment success in the long run.

A recent Wall Street Journal article makes a case against investing in high-risk/high-yield markets. The author argues that the difference in returns between equities in emerging and developed nations is so small that the diversification benefits of investing in emerging markets are diminished.

With the S&P 500 outperforming non-U.S. stocks in recent years, some investors have wondered, “Why should I hold anything but the S&P 500?”

Investors wanting to increase their wealth and well-being should consider the model created by Mo Gawdat, a serial entrepreneur and former Chief Business Officer at Google X, who tried to engineer a path to joy in his book, Solve for Happy, by expressing happiness as an equation.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are receiving intense media coverage. Do these new types of electronic money deserve a place in your portfolio?

A video illustrates what goes on in the financial world. Voices come at us from all directions and from varying points of view, each one claiming to know when the market will peak, so you can achieve the (unattainable) market ideal of always buying low and selling high.

In late-December and early January, we made changes to the asset allocation of all bond-oriented client portfolios.

Can you guess how often the stock market’s annual returns actually aligned with its long-term average? Short-term results vary, and in any given period stock returns can be positive, negative, or flat. When setting expectations, it’s helpful to see the range of historical outcomes.

There has been much speculation in the press about why volatility has been low, how this is related to the real economy and global events, and what it might mean for future returns. However, these are just stories

In the world of investments, a bumpy and unpredictable ride can await those with concentrated and undiversified portfolios and investors who constantly tinker with their asset allocation. Of course, everyone feels in control when recent market performance has been positive….

Every year brings its share of surprises. But how many of us could have imagined that 2016 would see Bob Dylan receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, Donald Trump elected president, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average close out the year a whisker away from 20,000?

Americans will elect the next president of the United States on November 8. While the outcome is unknown, one thing is certain: There will be a steady stream of opinions from pundits and prognosticators about how the election will impact the stock market

While there has been much speculation leading up to and since the Brexit vote, many of the longer-term implications of the referendum remain unclear, as the process for negotiating what a U.K. exit may look like is just beginning.

To help navigate the choppy markets, consider how world-class athletes approach success. The greatest athletes, from Olympians to all-star professionals, focus on process rather than outcome

The stock market is off to a rough start in 2016. We have been here before, with last summer’s Greek Debt Crisis and Chinese Selloff.

It’s a difficult time to be an investor. In 2015, global equity markets were up and down on a regular basis, with the S&P 500 up just 1.4%, its worst performance since 2008. Every investor should expect surprises, since we will experience a crisis at some point in the future. A globally diversified approach in bonds and equities works in all environments.

Financial professionals generally describe any decline of 10% or more from a previous peak as a “correction,” although it is unclear what investors should do with this information. Should they seek to protect themselves from further declines by selling, or should they consider it an opportunity to purchase stocks at more favorable prices?

Guided by a strong belief in markets, we help our clients pursue higher expected returns through advanced portfolio design and careful implementation. An enduring philosophy, strong client commitment, and a robust connection with the academic community underpin our approach.

Events in Greece and China have been the overwhelming focus of investors worldwide in recent weeks. You may be wondering how the Greek crisis and suspension of trading in China will affect your portfolio and long-term investment objectives. Below is some background and insight about each country.

The stock market has given us some exciting ups and some thrill-dampening downs. To stay on track in volatile times, invest your retirement savings in

If in January of last year you invested your portfolio based on predictions from the “experts,” you’d probably be sorry today. The Wall Street Journal conducted a survey of 48 business economists in January 2014.

In late September 2014, superstar bond manager Bill Gross left PIMCO, the firm he founded in 1971. We have reviewed the repercussions of Gross’s departure and have decided to continue holding PIMCO Total Return fund as we complete further research on the fund and the available alternatives.

Fads come and go, but investing is like music: true classics stand the test of time and remain relevant long after they were initially composed. The classic concepts below are all members of the “Investing Hall of Fame.”

Interest rates worldwide are at historic lows. With rates so low, should bond investors worry about rising rates? The truth might surprise you. Central banks in developed economies have injected extraordinary stimulus into the system since

During extreme market volatility many investors make poor decisions that can ultimately hurt them. Great investors remind us that a disciplined, patient, unemotional investment approach

The unusually strong performance of US stocks in 2013 was a welcome surprise for investors who are following a simple buy-and-hold strategy and a source of exasperation for many active portfolio managers and investment professionals.

We are very proud to announce that Tarren Schaar became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional in February. Earning the CFP® certification means Tarren has joined a select group of competent and ethical personal financial planning advisors.

Many investors fell for emerging market stocks after they delivered sizeable returns. More recently, the associated risk of this asset class has reasserted itself and the infatuation has faded. What’s the best approach for investors? A major theme in media

Each January, a group of prominent investment professionals gather in New York as members of the Barron’s Roundtable to trade quips, stock ideas, and the outlook for markets and economic trends worldwide. Barron’s—a weekly financial newspaper with

We humans have an astounding facility for self-deception when it comes to our money. We tend to rationalize our fears to our detriment. Below are 10 arguments many of us use to justify behavior that runs counter to our long-term best interest.

What percentage of your assets is held in stock of your company? Would you buy that much of the stock today? Are you willing to

Judging by the headlines in the financial press, retail investors spent much of the past year anxiously awaiting one calamity after another that failed to occur. The plunge off the so-called fiscal cliff was averted. The euro zone did not fall apart. China’s economy and stock market did not crash.

Summary Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) has grown significantly over the past two decades. A goal of SRI is to raise the cost of capital for