Short-Termism October 13, 2015 Categories: What does Vanguard’s CEO, a portfolio manager, and an economist have in common? They all agree investors focus way too much on the short-term. Read more
Should the Fed Raise Interest Rates This Year? September 16, 2015 Categories: The Federal Reserve concludes its two-day meeting on Thursday and will announce whether or not they plan to raise interest rates, specifically the Federal Funds Rate. The Fed has kept the Federal Funds Rate at zero since 2008 and hasn’t raised the rate in over a decade. Since discontinuing its Quantitative Easing (QE) program in October of 2014, the market has been obsessed with when the Fed starts to raise interest rates. This obsession makes sense as the Fed has used “forward guidance” as another monetary policy tool in recent years. However, I believe the first increase in interest rates is not nearly as important as the ultimate end to the rise in rates otherwise known as the “Neutral Federal Funds Rate.” So the question remains, will the Fed raise short-term interest rates this week or even this year? Predicting changes in interest rates and monetary policy moves is virtually impossible. However, in looking at the current global economic data, I would caution the Fed not to raise interest rates in 2015. Read more
Risk vs. Volatility August 21, 2015 Categories: Asset Allocation, Bonds, Risk Management, Volatility As an avid reader and follower of global financial markets, a day rarely goes by that I don’t observe what transpires in markets. I am fascinated by the ebbs and flows of data, information, economies, and markets. Learning new ideas challenges my mind and hopefully improves my portfolio management ability. Read more
Estate Planning For Everyone June 24, 2015 Categories: A common misconception is that the term “Estate Planning” is only reserved for the wealthy or the “1%-ers”. However, everyone should have a plan for their estate because everyone will eventually have an estate for someone to manage. There are a few essential documents that everyone should have in their estate plan. In many cases, these documents are easy to prepare and rather in-expensive. Read more
