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The market pulled back slightly so far this week and retail sales fell below expectations—declining by 0.9%. There was also a 3.5% decline in auto sales, indicating consumers’ hesitation to make big ticket purchases. Watch as Gary Quinzel, Vice President for Portfolio Consulting, discusses the Federal Reserve’s reaction and other macroeconomic headlines.
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Most people understand the value of maintaining a long-term outlook when it comes to their investment strategy. Amid ongoing market swings, however, it can feel difficult to stay the course. Despite the uncertainty, it’s important to remain focused on the big picture to help manage the effect that emotional selling may have on your overall financial plans. In fact, market downturns may even present portfolio and planning opportunities that may not seem obvious at first.
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We are reposting this video in honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day!
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For the period November 1 – November 30, 2024.
Executive Summary
With the US presidential election in the rearview mirror, US equities climbed higher in November and bond yields declined. Risk assets continue to be supported by a positive macroeconomic backdrop, solid earnings growth, and an accommodative Fed.
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For the period October 1 – October 31, 2024.
Executive Summary
Global equity and fixed income markets retreated in October, reflecting the uncertainty of policy implications leading up to the U.S. election. Now knowing the outcome, as we enter a historically strong season for equity markets, we note that seasonality has been even stronger in past election years, which bodes well for investors.
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For the period September 1 – September 30, 2024.
Executive Summary
Despite recent bouts of volatility, equity markets marched higher, ending the third quarter at all-time highs. The Fed began a recalibration of interest rates with a 50-basis point cut, as they see balanced risks to both inflation and employment.
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In this episode of “Investment Management Foundations,” Gary Quinzel, Vice President of Portfolio Consulting at Wealth Enhancement, discusses structured notes, which combine zero-coupon bonds with options (puts and calls) linked to an underlying index like the S&P 500.
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By Dom DiFurio Domenico Fornas // Shutterstock
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For the period August 1 – August 31, 2024
Executive Summary
After a brief bout of volatility to start the month, equities roared back to finish August near all-time highs, propelling us toward the first rate cut since March 2020. The Fed has signaled their intentions, as their focus has clearly shifted to the labor market, which is showing signs of slowing.
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In this episode of “Investment Management Foundations,” Gary Quinzel, Vice President of Portfolio Consulting at Wealth Enhancement, discusses the significance of monetary policy, highlighting its impact on interest rates, economic stability, and investment market behavior.
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Presidential elections always breed uncertainty, and while we’re sure to have many questions leading up to November, one of the more pressing is, “How will the election impact markets?”
In this webinar, Gary Quinzel and Ayako Yoshioka from our investment management team discuss:
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For the period July 1 – July 31, 2024.
Executive Summary
Volatility returned to markets as investors grappled with mixed economic data, political headlines, second-quarter earnings, and central bank policy meetings. Despite the challenges, the totality of data suggests that the U.S. economy is still expanding, as investors eagerly await the Fed’s next move.
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Stocks have been particularly strong in 2024 as volatility has been near multiyear lows. That trend has reversed in recent days, following the most recent labor data releases.
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In this episode of “Investment Management Foundations,” Ayako Yoshioka, Wealth Enhancement Senior Portfolio Manager, breaks down how investment markets fluctuate during presidential election years and how markets respond to Democratic and Republican presidents.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT BELOW
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For the period June 1 – June 30, 2024.
Executive Summary
Positive returns in the Growth and Technology sectors helped cap off another strong quarter for the market, but they have further intensified the high concentration of market leadership. Investors appear content with modest rate cut expectations, while growth and inflation have moderated.
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In this episode of “Investment Management Foundations,” Wealth Enhancement Vice President of Portfolio Consulting Gary Quinzel details the Consumer Confidence Survey, a timely index that pulls in various data points, including labor data, inflation, and GDP, to provide a comprehensive view of current economic conditions and how investors feel about them.
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Written by: Ben Popken
With interest rates at record highs and inflation eating away at investment returns, alternative investments have taken on a new luster for the richest of the rich.
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In today’s always-on digital world, reading can seem like a quaint pastime. After all, a pithy social post is easier to digest than a full book. However, real learning typically requires a commitment to delve into a topic in some depth. That’s particularly true for anyone seeking to enhance their financial literacy.
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For the period May 1 – May 31, 2024.
Executive Summary
Equity markets rebounded in May as first-quarter earnings surpassed expectations. Despite strength in the corporate sector, weaker consumer spending and the overall moderating pace of growth suggest that inflation pressures will gradually subside.
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Warren Buffett. A name synonymous with investment in America.Each year, Warren Buffett writes a letter to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., his investment holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Up until 2023, Charlie Munger—who Buffett referred to as the "architect" of Berkshire—had also participated in the writing of these letters. Munger died at the ripe age of 99, on November 28, 2023, so now, the mantle has passed to Buffett alone.
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In this episode of “Investment Management Foundations,” Wealth Enhancement Senior Portfolio Manager Ayako Yoshioka takes a look at persistent inflation and explains how it’s changed year over year.
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In the May 2024 edition of Markets Monthly: Strategies & Perspectives, Wealth Enhancement Group specialists Ayako Yoshioka and Gary Quinzel share economic highlights, market updates, and more.
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For the period April 1 – April 30, 2024.
Executive Summary
Equity markets pulled back in April amid hawkish repricing of rate expectations. Inflation has proven to be stickier than most believed at the start of the year, but following the most recent Fed meeting, it still seems that the next interest rate move will be lower.
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Written By: Natalie P. McNeal
Data Work By: Wade Zhou
It's well-documented that the surest, and often best, return on investments comes from playing the long game. But between stocks and real estate, which is the stronger bet?
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For the period March 1 – March 31, 2024.
Executive Summary
Equity markets continue to march higher despite the historic duration of the inverted U.S. Treasury yield curve. Inflation has moderated and stabilized, while growth expectations have modestly improved, indicating that risks between inflation and economic growth are well-balanced.
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For the period February 1 – February 29, 2024.
Executive Summary
The S&P 500 continues to notch new record highs in 2024, fueled by strength in the Technology sector and expectations for more accommodative monetary policy. While the Fed may not be in a rush to lower interest rates, the combination of solid earnings and a resilient labor market supports the case for further strengthening of the economy and risky assets.
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By: Wade Zhou
America's economy has exploded since 1989.
Gross domestic product (GDP), which measures all of the goods and services produced in a year, grew from $9.9 trillion to $22.5 trillion from 1989 to 2023 (after accounting for inflation), according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This figure represents a massive increase in economic output.
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For the period January 1 – January 31, 2024.
Executive Summary
U.S. equity markets hit new all-time highs in January, even as market expectations for interest rate cuts from the Fed were recalibrated. The Fed wants to be confident that inflation is stemmed prior to their first rate cut, so all eyes will focus on economic data, which currently supports their decision.
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For the period December 1 to December 31, 2023.
Executive Summary
2023 ended on a high note as the interest rate narrative shifted and consensus views broadly turned positive. The new year brings hope of an even more favorable environment for stocks and bonds, but recent history reminds us that consensus opinions can be unreliable.
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For the period November 1 to November 30, 2023.
Executive Summary
U.S. equity markets bounced back with historically strong returns in November as yields on longer-dated Treasuries declined. If inflation has been tamed and rate hikes are in the rearview mirror, a recession may be averted—but the era of interest rates anchored near zero may also be behind us.
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For decades, investors have been told that investing in a portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds is a tried-and-true method to diversify and optimize returns. This strategy assumes that most of the returns will come from your equity exposure while fixed income will provide the needed ballast to offset losses in down years for the market. Modern portfolio theory supports this methodology, and since 1945, it has yielded an average return of close to 10%.
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Vacation homes can be a great place to unwind, enjoy leisure time, and create lasting family memories. They can even serve as a secondary source of income if you rent them out when not in use. But after adding up all these considerations, are they really a good investment?
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Along with investment market volatility, high inflation has recently been a persistent concern for investors. In March 2023, The Federal Reserve added fuel to that fire by signaling its readiness to ramp up interest rates in response to a string of red-hot economic reports.
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There was once a point when women couldn't own property; now, women hold a growing proportion of the global wealth. What's even more interesting is that the different approach they bring to their investments impacts the broader (and still male-dominated) financial industry through impact investing.
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When it comes to investing, you have a lot of options. Whether you’re investing in specific companies, funds, or a combination of both, you have myriad choices for investing in securities. It’s no wonder that building out your portfolio can be daunting. There’s a lot to think about, but one consideration that’s growing in popularity is ethics.
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It’s great to have investing goals–they help guide your savings and provide motivation to continue investing throughout the year. Considering how complex investing is today, you are probably asking yourself where to begin when setting investing goals. Plus, it’s easy to make mistakes that could dramatically alter your results.Avoiding these costly investing mistakes can help prevent you from feeling disappointed when reviewing your statements at the end of the year.
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Fear is one of the most primal feelings in the human experience. When harnessed correctly, internal fear can be an incredibly powerful motivator. However, if fear is not harnessed correctly, or if the fear is too powerful, we can become paralyzed. Paralysis by fear inhibits our mental processes and can often lead to irrational thinking. This is especially problematic when fear creeps into investment decision making.
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It’s natural to assume that superior investment performance results from superior manager skill, and below average investment performance reflects subpar manager skill. Using only investment performance to measure a money manager’s ability has some advantages: it’s easy, it’s widely accepted, and it feels good.
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Smart financial planning is a crucial element when preparing for retirement, but that’s just one half of the equation. Effective portfolio management is an equally critical component.
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“You have to spend money to make money.”
Yes, this statement has become a bit of a cliché, but it’s also accurate when it comes to investing fees.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest issues with these fees is that there can often be a lack of transparency when it comes to how much you’re being charged. It’s critical for investors to understand what they’re getting from these surcharges. Here are two key questions you should ask.