A Rough Start to 2016 The first three weeks of the New Year delivered investors an 11% draw-down in the S&P 500, and many are justifiably concerned that stocks could continue to fall even further. Draw-downs often strain the emotions of long-term investors because the fluctuations in equity prices tends to amplify loss aversion. As…
What Can We Gain From All This Pain?
“May You Live in Interesting Times”
Interesting Times Indeed The title is reputed to be a legendary Chinese curse, and it is often used in English-speaking countries during times of disorder and despair. Despite the intended irony of using a Chinese proverb during a period when China is to blame for much investor angst, it’s safe to say that everyday investors…
Remaining At Rest In A Room
Ouch The idea behind proper diversification is that when one market struggles, the other(s) step in and offer support. Several conservative investors who closely watched their portfolios in 2015 are now questioning this strategy for very good reason. There was nowhere to run last year, and any return that came close to what would be…
It’s Important to Stay Patient
Low Returns Lately As we wind down yet another dramatic year in financial markets, conservative investors are becoming increasingly frustrated. This cohort has been told to be patient, but attractive returns continue to elude them time and time again. Instead, they realize annual returns that barely break even after fees and inflation are subtracted. The…
The Impact of a Presidential Election
The Worst Part About My Job Without question, the most annoying and frustrating part of my job as a money manager is following the dysfunction in the U.S. government. I cringe when reading a newspaper or watching a television segment involving politics because I feel as if the incentives of most who service public offices…
NYSE “Stop Orders” – Good Bye & Good Riddance
They Won’t Be Missed The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced this week that it will eliminate “stop orders” as of February 26, 2016. Talk about music to my ears. Before I explain the importance of such a move by the NYSE, let’s walk through the difference between the various order types to get a…
What Does Global Financial’s Investment Committee Do? (The people who run your DIAS Fidelity accounts)
Q&A on The Investment Committee Investors are often curious about the money management process and who is involved in decision making. In an attempt to provide more clarity into the investment process, here are several answers to some of the more common questions regarding the Investment Committee: What is the Investment Committee? The Investment Committee…
Why Was The Market Up/Down Today?
Explaining the Unexplainable Market pundits are obsessed with understanding the short-term movements in equity markets. They want to explain why stock prices are rising and falling every moment of every day, because those who can provide more “color” (another word for “insight” on Wall Street), are regarded as having a good “feel for the market.”
Why Didn’t We See It Coming?
Are We Blind? Back in August, China shocked the world by devaluing their currency, which wreaked havoc across global financial markets. Trillions of dollars of value were wiped out in days over fears that the second largest economy in the world was slowing. Those country’s economies who are dependent upon China for supplying raw materials…