Volatility – Like it or Not – is a Feature of Markets
Stock and bond markets alike are sorting their way through a potent brew of uncertainties these days. War, inflation, supply constraints, rising interest rates, growth concerns, and even crypto-currency dislocations are combining to drive markets lower by the day. It’s certainly no fun to sit through tumultuous markets, but turmoil like we’ve seen recently is […]
How Do We Choose the Funds We Use?
Does it seem like there’s been an extra level of uncertainty lately, threatening your investment plans? Of course, there are always big events going on; that’s the world for you. But today’s brew of geopolitical threats, inflation trends, rising interest rates, recessionary fears, and lingering COVID concerns may feel especially daunting. The market’s volatile reactions […]
Market Commentary: Q1 2022
Stock Markets Not surprisingly, stock markets were volatile this quarter. Faced with a myriad of issues ranging from renewed inflation, historically high equity valuations, winding down the Fed’s “Quantitative Easing”, capped by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The largest tech companies held up reasonably well, with Facebook as the only notable exception. Returns from stocks traded […]
The Fed Has Been Busy
The Federal Reserve has significantly altered their guidance in the last few months. The biggest change is the increase in the expected number of rate hikes this year. In December, the Fed was expecting three rate hikes in 2022. Three weeks ago, they increased that forecast to 7, and the market is now expecting 8. […]
How the Conflict in the Ukraine affects Investors
The war that began this week between Russia and the Ukraine is a human tragedy and a stark reminder that dollars and cents are secondary to health and safety. Some of us who have friends and family in the areas affected by war are focused on the wellbeing of their loved ones. But for most […]
Major Firms predict Expected Returns in the coming Decade
Every year large Wall Street firms publish their forecast of expected returns for the coming decade. The following table shows what each firm expects from capital markets in the coming 10-years. The first thing that jumps out is the poor expected performance by U.S. equities. Despite averaging nearly 10% over the last 100 years, forecasters […]
Rockbridge Spotlight: Disciplined Capital Management
Rockbridge is excited to welcome Adam Gagas, Sharon Craig, and Jodi DeAugustine of Disciplined Capital Management (DCM) to the Rockbridge team. Rockbridge and DCM decided to consolidate businesses and advisory teams this past October. The combination is a natural fit because the two firms share a common heritage and investment philosophy that dates back three […]
Market Commentary: Q4 2021
2021 was a good year for domestic stocks, with large-cap stocks (S&P500) up 29%. Returns in this market segment continue to be driven by the largest tech stocks, which had been the case for the last ten years. Results in other markets are mixed.REITs produced extraordinary returns bouncing back from last year’s sharp fall-off. Emerging […]
Tax Scams
As we head into a new year and with it, a new tax season, we wanted to draw attention to a number of scams and schemes to defraud unsuspecting taxpayers. We think it is important that our clients be aware of how these scams work, and what precautions you can take to protect yourself. How […]
Retirement Plan Contribution Limits & Other Tax Changes for 2022
Every year the IRS reviews a variety of retirement plan contribution limits and other important fiscal boundaries. Here’s a list of changes made effective January 1st, 2022. Item 2021 2022 401(k) Employee Max $19,500 $20,500 401(k) Catch Up $6,500 $6,500 401(k) Total Max $58,000 $61,000 HSA (Individual) $3,600 $3,650 SIMPLE IRA $13,500 $14,000 SIMPLE IRA […]