Auto Insurance: When Was The Last Time You Got A New Quote?
This is a topic that has been relevant in my life and also a recently asked question by a family member. Am I paying too much for auto insurance? If you haven’t received a new quote online recently, the answer is probably YES. When I moved down to Texas, I found out auto insurance rates […]
Golf and Investing
I know this might be hard to imagine for most of us golfers, but which of the following scenarios would you rather choose: 1. Shooting par every time you go out and play a round of golf. 2. Shooting below par 25% of the time you play and failing to reach par the remaining 75% […]
2013 Rockbridge Survey and Company Updates
First and foremost, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our 2013 Client Survey. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our business and services, and we greatly value your feedback. For those of you who didn’t get an opportunity to take the survey, I will summarize the results of each of […]
How Bad Was This Quarter for Bond Investors?
The benchmark bond index that we follow, Barclays U.S. Government/Credit Index, lost 2.5%, the worst quarter since 1994. In fact the quarterly result has only been worse 8 times in the past 40+ years (162 quarters). The Barclays U.S. TIPS Index had its worst quarter ever losing 7.1% (data only goes back to 1997). Markets […]
Market Commentary July 2013
Volatility returned this quarter in both stocks and bonds as fears about the central-bank actions across the globe made investors nervous about the future. Large Cap U.S. stocks, represented by the S&P 500 Index, returned 2.9% in the second quarter, bringing the year-to-date return up to a lofty 14.0%. By contrast, the EAFE Index, a […]
Are You A Financial Expert?
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is currently running a study on the financial savviness of the US population. While a majority of people feel they have a good grasp of financial topics, the study shows that is not actually the case. Below are a few of the study highlights: 1 in 5 people are […]
A Dozen Benefits of Financial Planners
Recently, I read a blog article by a Bob Seawright titled, “Financial Advice: A Top Ten List”. The article describes how financial planners provide clients with a far greater benefit than just investment returns. Bob provided an excellent list of ancillary benefits. His list is spot-on and a worthy read by anyone considering a financial […]
Control Costs: They Matter!
You get what you pay for, right? Actually, when it comes to investing, it’s what you don’t pay for that really counts. Vanguard’s latest ad’s have all revolved around “at-cost” investing for this very reason. Check out the link below where Vanguard explains “at-cost” investing and how it can help investors reach financial success over time. Vanguard’s At-Cost […]
Home Buying Season – What You Should Know!
At Rockbridge, we take a holistic approach to personal wealth, and home buying is the single biggest transaction most of us will ever make. We have simplified the process through an easy to understand white paper on what to expect when purchasing or refinancing a home. The paper provides valuable information on the major considerations and […]
Gambling with Retirement? It’s Time You Take Control!
Over the years there has been a shift of burden in retirement savings from the employer to the employee. The era of company pension plans is fading, leaving Americans on their own to save for retirement; primarily through company-sponsored 401(k) plans. Frontline recently aired The Retirement Gamble, where it highlights some of the downfalls of […]