Financial Synergies 4th Quarter Market Review
This report features world capital market performance and a timeline of events for the past quarter. It begins with a global overview, then features the returns of stock and bond asset classes in the US and international markets.
Putting Recent Market Volatility in Perspective
There’s no sugarcoating it, today was nasty. And this week for the global stock markets wasn’t any better. But the last several years have been relatively calm for the U.S. stock market. This bull market has gone 1,418 calendar days …
International Diversification Pays Off in 2015
It’s hard to believe that just six years ago we experienced one of the worst global economic and stock market meltdowns in history. However, since then stocks have experienced a meteoric rise. U.S. stocks have been dominating the recovery and …
Q3 2014 Newsletter
Q3 2014 Newsletter from Financial Synergies Asset Management, Inc
Where Should the Market Be?
Last week the Dow Jones (^DJI) topped the 17,000 mark with a gain of about 3.25% for the year. The markets have been on a tear for over three years with no significant downturn since the long forgotten technical correction …
Q1 2014 Newsletter
Our 1st quarter newsletter features articles by the whole team. Q1 2014 Newsletter from Financial Synergies Asset Management, Inc
High-Frequency Trading and Long-Term Investing
If you keep up with the financial news outlets, you’ve probably been exposed to the latest debates on high-frequency trading (HFT). In Michael Lewis’ new book, “Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt,” he says that the stock market is rigged. His …
Russia Annexes Crimea: Should Investors Respond?
A prerequisite for investing is optimism about the future. After all, if you don’t believe that things will be better tomorrow than they are today, there would be no reason to squirrel away your money. It can be difficult at …
The Market Takes a Breather in January
After a year like 2013 stocks deserve a little breather, and that’s exactly what they got in January. Stocks (S&P 500) ended the month down -3.5%, while bonds (Barclays Aggregate Bond Index) posted a 1.5% gain. Last year stocks were …
Our 4th Quarter 2013 Newsletter
Q4 2013 Newsletter from Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors, Inc.
The Fund with the Odd Name
When first mentioned in client meetings, the Merger Fund sometimes elicits looks of confusion or curiosity from its name alone. It doesn’t sound like the other names in your portfolio, and it doesn’t act like them either. It’s considered an …
Investment Decisions at “Ludicrous Speed”
Riding in the elevator this morning, a fellow passenger commented on how quickly the year had flown by for her. Every year about this time, I find myself having that conversation regularly. I’m sure you do as well. Indeed, each …
Low for Longer: A More Active Approach to Fixed Income
“Low for Longer” is Blackrock’s investment theme heading in to 2014. The Low for Longer tag line is their way of expressing a forecast of tepid economic growth, easy monetary policy and, consequently, low interest rates. Investment catchphrases such as …
Worst Case Scenarios
Negativity has permeated our society of late. Predictions of disastrous consequences from the federal debt ceiling impasse abound. Some pundits worry that inflation arising from dramatic increases in the monetary supply will surely diminish our future lifestyles. European sovereign debt crises will eventually contaminate the American banking system, and global warming will cause our coastal […]
Is Now a Good Time to Start Investing?
“Is now a good time to start investing?” It’s a simple question, but it’s almost impossible to answer because it requires a market prediction. Most people agree that trying to predict the market is impossible, but it’s human nature to …
