The markets continue to be on pins and needles as global/government issues continue to make investors nervous.  Beyond these sovereign concerns, there is good reason to believe slow modest growth is the most likely path of our economy, but every bit of good or modest news tends to get ignored.  The markets seem to be [...]

If you only look at the big picture (macro level headlines) the market certainly was on a roller coaster ride this last quarter. During the first four months everything was steady and improving. We ran into a soft patch which brought the market down to earth in late May, and wiped out a majority of [...]

In three short months we have experienced: A horrific Tsunami in Japan ending the lives of more than 20,000 people and an ensuing nuclear disaster with unknown long term ramifications The U.S.and the United Nations undertaking military action againstLibya Multiple uprisings across the Arab world against established governmental strongholds A continuation of the European sovereign [...]

The year 2010 certainly was interesting.  Portions of the year seemed like a roller coaster ride, but we finished strong leaving both stocks and bonds in positive territory.  As you review your account statements you should all be pleased with the results.  Most all of you exceeded the benchmarks.  For 2010, the Standard and Poor’s [...]

In last quarter’s Market Outlook Report, I drew a line in the sand and stated that we were not facing a double dip recession, but rather, we were showing some signs of slow growth.  There were a couple days in July and August where I was beginning to challenge my thinking.  Multiple clients came in [...]

The tide turned decisively negative in June, and it’s starting to feel like Chinese water torture again.  Is the market horrible, or is all this normal?  I assume most of us think the market is doing terrible.  I will concede the point that the second quarter results have been negative, but let’s look at our [...]

Wow!  What a difference a year can make. On March 5th, 2009 the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the day at 6,594.  The perception was that the U.S. financial system was facing a complete collapse, and most everyone’s retirement outlook seemed dismal.  Popular television stock analyst Jim Cramer had just screamed a few months earlier [...]