We are Back and So is Inflation
By: Ralph C. Freibert III, Investment Advisor RepresentativeIt has been a while since I have written a commentary on the markets. This was due to several factors, including: the birth of our first grandson, sending our youngest son off to Army Basic Combat...
If You Don’t Get Investing, Blame it on Evolution
By: Ralph C. Freibert, III, MBA, CLU®, CLTC®, CIMA®, CFP®, Investment Advisor RepresentativeEver wonder why so few succeed in wealth creation? Seventy-seven percent of the wealth in the United States is owned by just 10-percent of the population (see table...
More than Meets the Eye
By: Ralph C. Freibert III, Investment Advisor Representative For most New Orleanians, the last week of October was more about hurricane preparedness and clean-up. If like Andrew and me, you also were living with no power and adapting to a more rustic way...
Uncertainty Equals Volatility
By: Andrew B. Noto, Investment Advisor RepresentativeIf there is one thing that has been apparent in 2020 it is that the stock market does not like uncertainty. The S&P 500 closed down 64 points today after a late afternoon rally of 36 points, a daily...
One Year and Counting
By: Andrew B. Noto, Chief Executive OfficerEarlier this month marked one year since Planning Associates Wealth Management, LLC became a registered investment advisory firm with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Though the milestone came with no...
Prudence and Patience are Virtues
By: Ralph C. Freibert III, Investment Advisor RepresentativeIf there is one thing I have learned in my 30-plus years as a student and professional in investment management it is “investment returns are random”. Many interpret that statement the following...
Understanding Markets
When people ask, “How did the market do today? They are typically referring to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (The Dow), which is the oldest and most quoted index. But, did you know there is a Dow Jones Transportation Average? And, did you know The Dow is made up of only 30 stocks of the over 3600 traded stocks in the United States, alone. Additionally, those 30 stocks have changed many times though company mergers, failures, and simply falling out of prominence.
Why Diversification Works
As an advisor, it is sometimes a difficult to explain to a client why their assets are not keeping up with the popular, broad-based market indices such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The correct answer most of the time is because the comparison being made is inappropriate.
What’s Up With This Market? Economy vs. Markets
Having worked directly with clients as well as directing the careers of hundreds of advisors during my own career, I have noticed a significant misunderstanding of the difference between investment markets and the economy. If you are one that has difficulty understanding the difference, don’t feel bad as you are certainly not alone. Many planning and investment professionals don’t truly understand the difference either.
Sorry to Get So Technical
Last week ended with the S&P 500 up almost 25%1 closing at 2789.82 on Thursday, the largest weekly gain in 46 years! There is no doubt that my expectation of “higher volatility” presented at our Outlook event back in early February has turned out to ring true, but the reason for the volatility wasn’t even a thought at the time for most of the nation.