The stock market’s ups-and-downs can be unsettling, and we empathize with the difficulties in keeping a steady hand—especially when the economy and markets feel as though they’re in disarray. But we also believe now is a time to remain patient, and to remember that short-term volatility is the price all investors pay for attractive long-term returns.

Investors are weighing a laundry list of unknowns in the current environment—how quickly the Fed will raise rates, whether and when inflation will moderate, how long Russia’s war will continue, whether the war escalates and turns global, and whether the pandemic is truly over. Our base assumption is that equity market volatility will continue as these questions continue to weigh on sentiment.

2021 was quite an unusual year for the world, but not necessarily for the capital markets. U.S. stocks strongly outperformed foreign shares, with every sector in the S&P 500 finishing up +15% or more. We do not believe all areas of the market will do well in 2022, however. Rising rates are likely to result in multiple compression in certain areas of the market.

The holiday season means getting to spend more time with family and loved ones. Holidays also offer a time for reflection, and sometimes can inspire its spirit of giving. It’s a time to be grateful for what we have, while also looking for ways to help those around us. This post explores giving strategies.

The highly anticipated ‘post-pandemic economic boom’ took a pause in Q3, as yet another Covid-19 surge led consumers to retrench in July and August.

The upshot for investors, however, is that macroeconomic headwinds all appear to be temporary, and none appear significant enough to derail the growth trajectory of the U.S. for the balance of 2021.

‘Financial planning’ is often viewed within the framework of investments and investment decision-making, but the reality is that good planning should address multiple touchpoints in a person’s financial life. We detail four of them in this post.

The U.S. economy is clearly on strong footing. Strong spending, accelerating demand, and tight inventories are likely to keep inflation as a headline risk, and continued strength in the jobs market and wage pressures may motivate the Federal Reserve to shift into monetary tightening mode sooner than later—at first by tapering bond purchases, and eventually by raising interest rates.

U.S. stocks marched higher in the first quarter, with the S&P 500 pushing through 17 new highs and reaching 4,000 for the first time. “Risk-on” sentiment is being driven by improving economic data, a sense that the pandemic is nearing its end in the US, and what is perhaps the greatest fiscal stimulus experiment in the country’s history.

In our view, the best way to counter uncertainties in life—and to ensure long-term financial well-being and security—is by having a solid financial and estate plan. In this post, we offer readers six tips for strengthening your estate plan today.

The S&P 500 index priced-in the pandemic-fueled recession in record time, but it also rallied sharply off the bottom in given hyper-accommodative monetary policy, massive fiscal spending, and anticipation of a strong growth rebound sometime in 2021. In spite of all the challenges 2020 presented, U.S. stocks rose +18.4% for the year.

When it comes to politics, many investors like to assume their political party is better for the stock market, or that a specific balance of power between the president and Congress is ideal for business and the economy. The reality: the stock market has shown virtually no political preference over the years.