To Inform: When talking to people about stocks, the topic of dividends usually comes up. “What’s the dividend?” is usually the question being asked, and it is a reasonable one. Dividends are tangible ways for investors to understand that owning stocks is a claim on the cash flows of a business. That being said, paying […]

To Inform:  When investors look at the returns on their portfolios, they want to know, “How am I doing?” Although it’s a simple question, from experience, we know there could be multiple meanings behind the question. “How am I doing?” could mean: Am I making money? Am I reaching my goals? Are other investors doing […]

To Inform: Are you starting Medicare soon or has your income changed significantly while on Medicare? If so, make sure that you’re aware of how your income affects your Medicare premiums. Most people know that taxes increase as income goes up, but many are unaware that Medicare premiums also go up with higher income. Fortunately, […]

To Inform: As we wrap up the dog days of summer and enter a period that has been historically weak in the stock market, it’s worth checking in on some of the key indicators that point to the strength of the economic recovery. We’re now approaching 200 trading days without so much as a 5% […]

To Inform: We know political events set off emotions for clients, but they also set off emotions for the markets. At the risk of talking a little politics, there are two key political areas we are paying attention to as they could spur some market headlines in the months ahead. The Debt Ceiling This weekend, […]

To Inform:  Markets often tell a reliable story. Rising interest rates, usually an indicator of a strengthening economy, often portend better times ahead for banks. Small cap stocks are outperforming? It’s likely value stocks are as well. Interest rates are falling? The dollar is likely weakening. These aren’t hard and fast rules, but they’re likely […]

To Inform: We should know that life insurance is an important part of any financial plan. At The Joseph Group, we do not sell life insurance but just like mortgages, long-term care and estate planning, we help our clients think about and plan for their life insurance coverage. Life insurance can be a valuable tool […]

To Inform: Despite spurts of volatility, major stock indexes have been bouncing around all-time highs in recent weeks. At the same time, measures of valuation show stocks have been getting cheaper. How is that possible?? Read on! First some education and context. The most common measure of stock “valuations” looks at the ratio between “Price” […]

To Inform: It’s the beginning of July which means the year is half over and the second quarter (April – June) is in the rearview mirror. Each month, The Joseph Group’s Investment Strategy Team puts together our Market Health Analysis, a packet of charts which looks at current events and different asset classes to inform […]

To Inform:  The Samuel Beckett play “Waiting for Godot” centers around two men who are waiting for a man named Godot. The men spend the entire play waiting for Godot who, in the end, never does makes an appearance. As investors there can be periods where it feels like investing in a certain style or […]