The News is Awful
The news this week has been putrid, like Tiger Woods’ golf at the British Open. CPI was hot. PPI was hot. Talk has turned to a full 1% rate hike by the Fed on July 27th. Bank earnings hasn’t been very good so far except for Citibank. Yet, as I write this before lunch the S&P 500 is down a little more than 1% this week. The NASDAQ 100 is down even less. With all that bad news, the casual […]
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Date: July 15, 2022
6 Smart Strategies for High Net Worth Retirement Planning
High net worth (HNW) families such as yours face unique challenges, and opportunities, in the years leading up to retirement. You require sophisticated planning that addresses the complexities that inevitably accompany affluence, from tax strategies to estate plans. It’s critical to partner with the right professional financial advisor, someone with the knowledge and experience to customize solutions for your unique circumstances. And a friendly, caring attitude wouldn’t hurt, either. Here are six elements of an overall strategy that map out […]
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Date: July 14, 2022
Feeling HOT, HOT HOT
On Tuesday I saw a tweet quoting someone in the Biden Administration as saying that today’s inflation data had “stale” energy prices in it. To me that meant he had already seen the report and was prepping the markets and people for a hot CPI today. The stock market hung in nicely on Tuesday until the lunchtime lull turned into the afternoon plunge. All in all, it still wasn’t an awful day. The government released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) […]
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Date: July 13, 2022
Staving Off Recession, For Now
On Friday the government released June employment data and revised prior months with real data, not the algo they use in real time. The economy created 372,000 new jobs well beyond expectations of 250,000 new jobs. However, April and May were revised lowed by 74,000. Wages gained 5% year over year. All in all this was another stellar report on the surface. However, markets now seem to be in the good news is bad news regime as a stronger economy […]
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Date: July 11, 2022
Time for a Pause or Mild Pullback?
The stock market has had a nice little rally over the past week. It still needs to clear some upside to see that defined higher highs and higher lows, but let’s not be greedy here. The rally hasn’t exactly been powerful or overwhelmingly strong. So far, it just looks like a bounce from A low but not THE low. These bounces can persist for days, weeks or months depending on how long it takes for investors to believe again. I […]
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Date: July 8, 2022
Taking Stock as Q3 Begins – The Single Most Important Sign
As July, Q3 and 2H 2022 begin the financial markets remain volatile and likely to stay that way throughout Q3. Over the past month or so, I have been encouraged by the behavior in sectors that peaked first and led the decline, namely, software, biotech, innovation and China. Those groups continue to lead the nascent rally. As I keep mentioning, I love bonds, especially on a risk-adjusted basis through year-end. The rally off the low has been strong and certainly […]
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Date: July 6, 2022
2022 a Redux of 2008?
A new video has been posted. Is 2022 a Repeat of 2008?
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Date: July 5, 2022
Overusing “Good Riddance” & Inflation of July 4th Travel
Almost every month in 2022 I have used the words “good riddance” as the new month began. I used it when Q1 ended and now I am saying GOOD RIDDANCE to June, Q2 and 1H 2022. None have been easy. As the calendar turns to July, there are a number of seasonal crosscurrents. During the second year of first term presidents, the stock market remains unappealing during the summer and often sees a major bottom in September or October. The […]
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Date: July 1, 2022
Bears Come Out of Hibernation
After we finally saw a nice week for the bulls last week, the bears decided enough was enough and sold the opening in a big way on Tuesday. I expect chatter to quickly turn to whether a new leg lower for the stock market has begun and how much deeper the bear market can go. The best things you can say about Tuesday are that small and mid cap stocks did not lead the market lower and the NYSE A/D […]
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Date: June 29, 2022
Why “Set It and Forget It” May Be the Wrong Investment Strategy
Please don’t shoot the messenger, but I’m here to tell you that, while setting it and forgetting it (SIFI) can sometimes be a generally helpful strategy, it is not ALWAYS best. In this article, I’ll describe how SIFI works and seven ways it falls short, especially if you manage your portfolio on your own. I’ll finish by showing how a fiduciary advisor can provide the benefits of SIFI without the downsides. What Is Set It and Forget It Investing? […]
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Date: June 28, 2022
