To Inform: Earlier this week the Federal Reserve announced they are planning to keep interest rates low for years to come, with the Fed’s own projections implying short term interest rates will remain at zero through 2023. Specifically, here is text from the Fed’s statement: “the Committee decided to keep the target range for the […]

To Inform: When you think of infrastructure investments where does your mind go? Bridges to nowhere? Members of Congress lined up at the trough to capitalize on pork barrel spending? I can see why those things may come to mind, but the kind of infrastructure one ought to think about are the income generating, already […]

To Inform: Several months back when the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 were being digested by financial markets, I remember reading a report talking about how the combination of Federal Reserve stimulus and recovering earnings could lead the S&P 500 to hit a level of 3,400, a new all-time high, before the end of […]

To Inform: I recently had a client ask me about the best way to save for college for their grandchildren. Immediately the 529 plan comes to mind but it’s not just that simple. Let’s start with the basics of a 529. Investment earnings and withdrawals are tax-free as long as they are used for qualified […]

To Inform: Last week’s Portfolios at Your Place Event covered Capital Market Assumptions (CMA) – a fancy term for forecasts of future asset returns over the next 5-10 years based on fundamental data like dividends, interest rates, and valuations. Many large investment banks and asset management firms put out annual forecasts of Capital Market Assumptions […]

To Inform: The words innovation and disruption seem to be getting used more and more around the investment world these days. This might spark a couple of questions. One being, “what does this mean for my investments?” and the other, perhaps, “is this anything new?” Before we answer, let’s define the terms. Innovation simply defined […]

To Inform: One of the hot topics we discussed at last week’s Portfolios at Your Place was the weaker U.S. dollar and how it was impacting changes in leadership across asset classes. Chris Verrone, Head of Technical Analysis at Strategas Research Partners recently said “there’s no shortage of moving parts in this environment and at […]

To Inform: How many of us routinely consider the question each year “how much am I eligible to contribute to my IRA or Roth IRA?” Many of us do, as we want to save as much as we can for our retirement goals while accomplishing them as tax-efficiently as possible. How many of us ask […]

To Inform: For fun, let’s start this Wealthnotes with a multiple-choice question. Which of these is correct? A.  The S&P 500 was down – 3.1% for the 2020 year to date period ending June 30 B.  The S&P 500 was down – 10.8% for the 2020 year to date period ending June 30 C.  Both […]

To Inform:  Growing up, one of the most joyous weeks of the year was the week of the county fair. I raised hogs as 4-H projects and the fair was a culmination of a few months of hard (and pungent) work. I’ll always have a fondness for hogs and not just because they are the […]