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The Blog

Weekly insights on the markets, economy, and financial planning

This might sound a little strange coming from someone who invests other people's money in the stock market, but it's true - Most Stocks Are Bad Investments.

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Recent Articles

Starting this month I'm going to attempt to post occasional articles on an interesting topic that may, or may not be investing related. I'll throw in a graphic to vividly illustrate the topic as well. Just stuff that I find interesting and informative, and hopefully you will too.
If you've been tuned into any financial media outlets over the past few weeks, it would've been nearly impossible not to have heard about this story. The GameStop "Short Squeeze" has become the stuff of Wall Street Legend, and it's also a sign of the times.
As the stock market continues its steep climb after last year's bear market crash, some investors worry about the possibility of a bubble. Over this period, the S&P 500 has risen 70% with dividends reinvested even as the pandemic rages on, many businesses continue to feel the pinch, and there are concerns over inflation. This is especially the case in technology-led sectors that have significantly outperformed. Should you be concerned?
Though my last science course was a biology class taken in 11th grade - whose tests are still the source of my most vivid nightmares - I am in awe of the technological breakthroughs in so many areas of our world. While we still don’t have flying cars (yet), advancements in genomics, artificial intelligence, automation and communication continue to boggle my mind. Below are two that I find particularly fascinating.
The Return of the Mega-Caps. The shortened trading week featured renewed strength in the mega-cap stocks, which drove the outperformance of the Nasdaq Composite (+4.2%) and lifted the S&P 500 (+1.9%) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.6%) in the process. Including the Russell 2000 (+2.2%), each index set new record highs.
This annual report features world capital markets performance for 2020. You'll find data for various asset classes, sectors, countries, etc. We hope you find it informative.
For most investors, the pain you feel from losses is greater than the joy you feel from gains in your investment portfolio. Think about it. If you've been investing for decades, what are you likely to never forget - years like 2016 where you made a lot of money in the market, or the 2008 financial crisis when stocks cratered and you witnessed your retirement accounts go up in smoke?
The stock market faced some selling pressure during the second full week of January, but not before the Dow and Nasdaq reached fresh record highs. The two indices surrendered a respective 0.9% and 1.5% for the week while the S&P 500 also lost 1.5%. Small caps outperformed notably, allowing the Russell 2000 (+1.5%) to finish the week with a gain.
As part of our commitment to providing the highest level of service to our clients, we’ve added a new financial advisor to our growing firm – Rachel Buckhoff. Please join us in welcoming Rachel to the Financial Synergies Team!
The year 2020 proved to be one of the most tumultuous in modern history, marked by countless developments that were historically unprecedented. But the year also demonstrated the resilience of people, institutions, and financial markets.
Well, Happy New Year! I hope it was a good one for all of you. Santa Claus definitely showed up, as the new year kicked off with huge gains across the board.
To say that 2020 was a crazy year in the markets is an understatement. We saw the quickest and deepest bear market decline in history, a global pandemic, trillions of dollars of global stimulus, the highest volatility (VIX) on record, negative oil prices, election chaos, and the fastest recovery from a bear market ever. And I'm damn glad it's over.
Ok, so maybe "mania" is an exaggeration, but there certainly is a renewed interest and hype around Bitcoin these days. Maybe that's because it's up over 200% in 2020 and has now surpassed its high from three years ago (currently more than $21,000).
The U.S. is beginning to roll out the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week just days after it was approved by the FDA. This vaccine, produced by Pfizer, could soon be joined by ones developed by Moderna and others. Government officials estimate that 100 million Americans could be vaccinated by the early months of 2021, or about one-third of the country.

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