Stocks
How 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…
Read MoreYou’ve got this
You’ve got this! Key Points: If watching the news gets you riled up, turn it off. If you can’t, try to remember they are stirring your emotions so you will tune in and they can sell more ads. Stocks often start to recover with an initial surge when things look awful. Diversifying among different types…
Read MoreWill a stock market decline kill my retirement?
Will a stock market decline kill my retirement? Key Points: Those with a sound plan based on realistic goals and expectations who stay diversified, patient, and disciplined have little reason to worry that the stock market decline seen in 2022, or even declines much worse, will radically derail their retirement. While the exact timing…
Read More