Blog
Welcome to 2023!
Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! We hope that you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season. We look forward to what this new year has to offer.
There is Always a Reason to be Grateful!
We believe the best client is an informed client. For this reason, throughout the year we provide our clients with a wealth of consistent and pertinent information on financial topics and markets…
Going Back to Basics: Time to Review Some Important Financial Fundamentals
“May you live in interesting times,” is an expression where someone ironically wishes an “interesting” time to whomever they are speaking with. Although it may seem innocuous it’s really an insult.
Proactive Year-end Tax Planning for 2022 and Beyond
Other than some IRS inflation adjustments, calendar year 2022 has brought limited changes in tax laws for individuals.
Research
Keys to Stock Market Gains in 2025 | Weekly Market Commentary | December 30, 2024
As 2024 draws to a close, investors have fully embraced the stock market. The S&P 500 is up more than 25% year to date. The broader Russell 3000 Index is up 24%. The Nasdaq Composite is up over 31%. Even the laggards are up double-digits with 12% and 14% advances for the small cap Russell 2000 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Volatility was low, with a maximum peak-to-trough decline for the S&P 500 of 8.5% (the long-term average max drawdown is over 13%). As we turn our attention to 2025, the supports of the past year largely remain in place, but some additional pillars have been added as we discuss below.
The Fed Resets Expectations for Next Year | Weekly Market Commentary | December 23, 2024
The Federal Reserve (Fed) is moving more cautiously in adjusting policy, and markets might have a hard time resetting expectations. Throughout the latest press conference with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, equity markets declined as investors were befuddled with the large upward revision to 2025 inflation forecasts; despite disappointing inflation projections, the “vibecession” is over as businesses and consumers have become more optimistic.
A Golden Age for Income Investors | Weekly Market Commentary | December 16, 2024
To say the U.S. economy has been difficult to read is an understatement. From generationally high inflation and interest rates to concerns about the labor market, it’s no wonder consumers are unsure about the overall health of the economy.
High-Level Thoughts on Stock and Bond Markets in 2025 | Weekly Market Commentary | December 9, 2024
LPL Research’s Outlook 2025: Pragmatic Optimism will be released tomorrow and available on LPL.com. Here we just provide an appetizer before the main course and share some of the stock and bond market themes covered in the full publication.