Stocks
Do spikes in the national debt cause market crashes?
Do spikes in the national debt cause market crashes? It’s an election year. Hang on to your hats! Every four years, we hear from both sides of the aisle about the terrible things that are sure to happen to us and to our country if the candidate from the other party wins the Presidency.…
Read MoreWhy true investors don’t worry about their portfolios on Election Day
Why true investors don’t worry about their portfolios on Election Day A recent study by asset management firm Janus Henderson indicated that half of those surveyed are “very concerned” about the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Only a third of those surveyed are highly worried about inflation, the possibility of a recession, or higher interest…
Read MoreHow do higher interest rates affect personal finances?
How do higher interest rates affect personal finances? The most obvious effects of higher interest rates are that savers earn more interest income and borrowers pay more interest due to higher rates on loans, such as mortgages. But how else can higher interest rates affect personal finances? Our team came up with a few notable…
Read MoreWhat do high valuation differences in the market mean for your portfolio?
What do high valuation differences in the market mean for your portfolio? One way to characterize stocks is by the ratio of its price to earnings. The stock of companies that have high expected growth rates naturally sell for higher prices. These stocks are often referred to as “growth stocks.” However, an investor’s return is…
Read MoreDoes stock-picking work?
Does stock-picking work? Stock-picking, the practice of selecting individual stocks to outperform the market, is far easier said than done. It is mathematically impossible for the average stock picker to beat a buy-and-hold investor in the same stocks. Compared to their benchmarks, most stocks return less and are far more volatile. The empirical evidence is…
Read MoreIs there a downside to diversification?
Is there a downside to diversification? Which would you have rather owned A or B? A lost an average of almost 1% per year for the decade January 2000-Decemeber 2009 but returned almost 13% per year from January 2010 through June 2023. Cumulatively, A averaged a 6.84% annual return for the period January 2000 through…
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