Now that the Olympics have wrapped up, it created an incredible opportunity for the country to come together as one no matter the political affiliation and be proud to be an American. These elite athletes have dedicated countless days, weeks and years to their sports to be able to compete on the global stage,…
Behavioral Finance: Home Country Bias It was last June when we wrote about a few behavioral finance topics. While markets aren’t as volatile as they were 12 months ago, and headlines surrounding the stock market may not be as divisive, we thought it would be helpful to review some investing basics through the lens of…
Beyond Your Finances, Investment Planning, Market Commentary
Bitcoin: Blockchain, Mining, Energy It’s no secret that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general have gained significant popularity and notoriety over the last 12 months. Most notably because the return has been an astronomical 430% over the time period, but also due to companies such as Tesla, MicroStrategy, and Square investing a collective $3.9 billion earlier…
Market Predictions “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” – John Kenneth Galbraith, Economist The 2021 Market predictions are in, and they’re probably wrong. Every year, the top investment banks, research institutions, and market analysts make their predictions on where the S&P 500 (stock market) will close the…
Diversification: U.S. vs. International Stocks In the midst of the current market turbulence, many of our clients are paying more attention to financial markets and their investment portfolios than they otherwise typically might. Rather than allowing headlines to influence our emotions, at PDS Planning we rely upon longer-term data and historical context to put the…
Diversification: Stocks & Bonds In the midst of the current market turbulence, many of our clients are paying more attention to financial markets and their investment portfolios than they otherwise typically might. Rather than allowing headlines to influence our emotions, at PDS Planning we rely upon longer-term data and historical context to put the current…
April 2020 Financial Markets Summary The first quarter was a tale of two halves for both the markets and our daily lives. In the markets, the first month and a half started well with 2-5% gains across most asset classes. Investors’ biggest concerns seemed to be the trade tensions with China, slowing global growth,…
Beyond Your Finances, Market Commentary
Good News, New Opportunities and Things We Can Control It is completely understandable to fear uncertainty. Like most crises (9/11, housing recession, etc.) this coronavirus crisis comes with a lot of uncertainty causing us to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and confused about how to handle our money. The COVID-19 pandemic adds the additional unusual aspect of…
As I get used to the new (temporary) normal, working from home each day, I’ve had the morning news shows running in the background and find myself each day stopping my work during the segment where they have a doctor on who is answering write-in questions from viewers. I’m paying attention because in many…
July 2019 Financial Markets Summary Happy Independence Day! As we turn the page to the second half of 2019, we pause to review a few facts about the 4th of July holiday. When John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there were only an estimated 2.5…
March 2019 Financial Markets Summary March is the pinnacle of the year for basketball fans with the annual March Madness NCAA Tournament. Brackets are built, buzzer beater shots are made, Cinderella teams advance deep into the tournament and the National Champion is crowned. But how does this relate to investing and capital markets? Each…
September 2018 Financial Markets Summary We just surpassed a major milestone for the domestic stock market! This current bull market is now the longest in history, depending on who you ask. Bull markets generally occur when the stock market realizes a 20% or more gain without a corresponding 20% loss. Bear markets, on the…
October 2017 Financial Markets Summary The third quarter has been far from quiet with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, increased tensions with North Korea, the German election and the Equifax data breach. However, global stock markets have been very resilient to these events and continue climbing higher. International stocks led the way for the quarter with…
May 2017 Financial Markets Summary More uncertainty, more growth, more record highs and more risk: the reigning market theme today seemingly is one of quantity – more of virtually everything, as recently suggested by Goldman Sachs. “Investors in recent months have faced a blitz of new U.S. policy initiatives whose contours are largely unknown but…
When I look at social media these days, I cannot tell if the world is coming to an end, or if we are about to embark on our nation’s greatest moment. For the first time in our history, a presidential transition was followed step-by-step on social media, and the reaction is frightening. Consider that only…
