Negative News, Positive Markets
Institutional investors oversee the vast majority of stocks and bonds, and have a significant influence on market price movements. These institutions include pensions, mutual funds, insurance companies, and large endowments. But unlike most individual investors, these professional asset managers’ market sentiment is not based on the latest headlines. While they can’t tell the future, these…
Read MoreThe Journey from Greed to Fear
Every generation must learn its own lesson about speculative trading. Millennials and Gen Z are in the early stages of their speculation education due to the popularity of the Robinhood trading app and similar free stock trading platforms. Free trading on your phone is only the latest way to play the age-old game of fear…
Read MoreWho Really Pays the Most Taxes?
Tax commentary from both politicians and the public leads me to think very few people understand how our tax system actually works, and who is paying the bill to operate our government. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) compounded the sentiment that the rich pay too little in taxes, and the poor and middle…
Read MoreIt’s Time for Empty Pockets
In recent years, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) have become a popular way for individuals to channel donations to qualified nonprofits. And because DAFs afford individuals useful tax and other benefits, many advisors have appropriately recommended DAFs to clients, often referring to them as “charitable savings accounts.” While DAF “sponsoring organizations” technically have control over funds…
Read MoreResponding to Stress
Stress is completely unavoidable in the world today. We are living through a period of heightened uncertainty and change. As financial advisors, our job is to help people make wise decisions with their resources, no matter what the circumstances. This critical role becomes more complicated during periods of amplified stress (positive or negative). To better…
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