A miserable start to the New Year, with US stocks down 7.9% in January, European markets down 7.4-11.4%, and Japan down 10.9%. The biggest declines are in Shanghai down 17.7% YTD and down 43.7% from an all-time high.
Read MoreWith the United States & Europe mired in depression, newly elected US president Franklin D. Roosevelt. delivered these words in his first inaugural address:
Read More2015 was a year where asset allocation came up empty. Generally speaking, if we spread our clients' money across multiple assets classes, some will do better than others, generating positive returns no matter what.
Read MoreA night of horror in Paris, similar to attacks in Spain in 2004. London in 2005, Moscow in 2002, Mumbai in 2008, Boston in 2013, Oklahoma City in 1995, Columbine in 1999, the Munich Olympics in 1972.
Read MoreA very short bulletin as stocks settle into the close. The S&P 500 peaked September 18th at a record 2,011.18, but since fell 8.5%, which leaves the major average down 6.2% on the quarter and up just 1.6% on the year.
Read MoreOh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; but there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
Read MoreUS stocked dropped 5.3% on the open with the Dow Industrials shedding 1089 points in 5 minutes. By mid day, the decline was a mere 0.9%.
Read MoreLast week, turmoil in Chinese stocks markets flowed into US markets, taking stocks down 6.1% for the month of August and down 3.0% on the year. We are taking NO action to rebalance accounts due to last week's pullback. Our clients' accounts are well positioned to ride out this storm.
Read MoreEvents we expect for 2015. Commodity prices stabilize near current levels, start rising again; The US dollar rises another 15-20% against world currencies, then resumes a long term slide.
Read MoreUS stocks fell 3.6% in January, gained 6.0% in February, fell 1.9% in March for a net gain of 0.3% on the year. The dollar gained 9% YTD relative to the Euro, on top of last year's 13% rise, but stabilized in recent days. Crude oil bottomed around $46 in February, traded in a range of $45-55/barrel in recent weeks.
Read MoreOn March 9th, 2009, the S&P 500 made an intra-day and 20 year low at 676.53. Millions of Americans drew a straight line from the mid-September 2008 failure of Lehman Brothers through that March low and projected that the S&P 500 would be zero by June
Read MoreWe drove Heron Financial Group | Wealth Advisors at 170 MPH for the last several years, achieving a 40% annual growth rate 3 years in a row, lifting our assets from $63 million at the end of 2011 to $171 million by the end of 2014, employee head count from 1 to 7.
Read MoreAs we close out 2014 and look forward to 2015, let's review events nobody forecast in January 2014. This process keeps us humble, but also helps us think about opportunities for 2015.
Read MoreAs US stocks hit a 6 month low two weeks ago on October 15th, we wrote, "The CNN Fear and Greed Index hits "Extreme Fear" (but we're not selling...)". In hindsight that was a good call because US stocks, as represented by the S&P 500, rallied significantly over the next two weeks and closed at the 35th record high of the year on October 31st.
Read MoreThe cruise ship sank. The passengers are gathered in the lifeboat. The officer in charge knows how to reach safety, just over the horizon. If the passengers trust him, sit in their seats, pull on the oars and bail when necessary, all will make it home.
Read More