Investment Management

In one way, the United States has been a very stable place for decades. We’ve only had four Presidents in 24 years. They each got their First 100 Days. Now it’s time to focus the lens on our newest POTUS. What has he actually done, and can investors learn anything from it?

When you compare who benefits from your portfolio, how does your view of investing change? Investing for your own retirement is not the same as building a surplus that will eventually go to your kids or future grandkids. With different people in mind, you and your advisor may make different decisions about risk, reward and time horizon. Let’s look at a few different perspectives of people living in the future.

Wait a minute. What crash?! No need for panic. I am absolutely NOT saying a crash is right around the corner. But big, scary declines are standard market events that happen, on average, about once a decade. This week is almost exactly the eighth anniversary of the end of the stock market crash of 2008-09. It’s just common sense to ask yourself from time to time how well prepared you are for the next one. Let’s take that opportunity right now and look at the bright side for some benefits.

Now that the presidential election is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward and think ahead. What decisions, if any, should you consider in days and weeks that follow? By nature, personal and investment decisions are closely connected, so markets can provide some useful guidance. It’s OK to do a little personal projection. Let’s take a closer look at the post-election guideposts for investment decisions.

No matter who wins and who loses, on November 9th, tens of millions of voting Americans will wake up disappointed with the Presidential election result. And markets will react worldwide. In this most unpredictable election cycle, can you protect and insulate your portfolio without knowing the result ahead of time? You can, by taking these four steps.

We first wrote about kids and money in May 2014. Here’s an updated version, circa 2016, sparked by real client conversations. What are parents talking about now? Education – price and value – seem to be top of mind, along with some other topics that may be just what you are thinking about.

It was an interesting question from a client: would you buy the home you live in right now? And could you? Many people cannot afford today to buy the home they currently live in. That’s true mainly for older people who bought their homes 10, 20, 30 years ago, but it’s also true for younger owners in some areas. Prices are way up in many markets and even those whose incomes have risen a lot might not want to buy that $2m home they paid $400k for back in the day. Is your house a good deal?

We get this question often, and welcome the discussion. Are my investments contributing to global warming, questionable GMO food practices or gun manufacturing? Will my portfolio help or hurt the next generation? What will I say to my kids/grandkids/friends when they ask me if I invest responsibly? Fortunately, there is a way to know how you are doing, and the responsible choices you have.

How do you know your investments are right for you? It’s a fair question to ask, and one your investment advisor can and should answer. Here’s a six-point checklist to evaluate what you own.