DO YOU PARTICIPATE? Americans aren't saving enough for retirement. Recent studies show that Two-thirds of all Americans don't contribute anything to a 401(k) or other retirement account available through their employer. Millions of people aren't saving, because either they don't have access to a plan, or just can't spare the cash. It doesn’t help that the information on how to participate is stuck in the middle of a large stack of new employee paperwork that [...]

Daily market news and commentary can challenge your investment discipline. Some messages stir anxiety about the future while others tempt you to chase the latest investment fad. When tested, consider the source and maintain a long-term perspective. Why doesn't the media run more good news? Because bad news sells! It sells because fear is a more powerful emotion than greed. If people preferred good news, the media would supply it. Newspaper editors know it, which [...]

This report features world capital market performance and a timeline of events for the past quarter and the past year. It begins with a global overview, then features the returns of stock and bond asset classes in the US and international markets. The report also illustrates the impact of globally diversified portfolios and features a quarterly topic. CLICK BELOW! QUARTERLY MARKET REVIEW

CLICK ABOVE! Have you ever been asked about your investing risk preference? Or have you been investing based upon gut instincts, hunches or emotions? Maybe you've discussed risk in a subjective way based upon your age. What if I asked you: "How far can your portfolio fall, within a certain period of time, before you make a poor investing decision?" 4 out of 5 people have more risk in their portfolios than they realize. But [...]

Trivia time: how many stocks make up the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index (a widely used benchmark for the US equity market)? While the logical guess might be 5,000, as of December 31, 2016, the index actually contained around 3,600 names. In fact, the last time this index contained 5,000 or more companies was at the end of 2005. This mirrors the overall trend in the US stock market. In the past two decades there [...]

Many people struggle to separate their emotions from investing. The chart above shows the correlation between emotional cycles and market returns. Investors typically buy at "Elation" and sell at "Fear", inherently creating a dreaded "selling low, buying high" strategy. A philosopher once said that nothing is as difficult for people as not deceiving themselves. But while most self-delusions are relatively costless, those relating to investment can come with a hefty price tag. Market volatility in [...]