Portfolio goals

The anticipation building up to elections often brings with it questions about how financial markets will respond, but the outcome of an election is only one of many inputs to the market. Our exhibit examines market and economic data for nearly 100 years of US presidential terms and shows a consistent upward march for US equities regardless of the administration in place.

Good news – you have an extra $24,000, and you’ve decided to invest it in the stock market. It’s always nice to have investable cash on hand, but you also might feel as if the pressure is on. Nobody enjoys seeing the market take a dive shortly after they jump in. Unfortunately, we never know when it might do exactly that.

For many of us, the daily routine has changed dramatically from a year ago. The near future offers little reason to expect any change.

In selecting or retaining a financial advisor, how do you know if you’re making a wise choice?

This is a challenging subject, indeed. First, the stakes are high. The quality of your selection, or lack thereof, can literally make or break your family’s fortune.

How do you know when an investment recommendation is worth heeding? Red tape and legal jargon aside, it’s about finding an advisor who exemplifies a few simple ideals:

“You can outsource expertise but never your understanding, especially when it comes to your finances.”

— Ben Carlson, “Don’t Fall For It”

The utility of living consists not in the length of days but in the use of time.

— Michel de Montaigne

Before we dive into the usual quarterly investment insights, here’s some fun trivia:

Did you know you have to count to 1,000 before you’ll find the letter “a” in a spelled-out number?

“All media shares one thing: Someone created it. And it was created for a reason. Understanding that reason is the basis of media literacy.”

— Common Sense Media

“[T]he challenge for all investors is to consume the news without being consumed by it.” — Jason Zweig