Market Commentary April 2014
In the chart at right, we show returns from several equity market indices for periods ending March 31, 2014. After falling in January and bouncing back in February, domestic equity market returns ended the March quarter slightly positive; returns in the REIT market were especially strong. While exhibiting the same ups and downs as domestic […]
What is the Value of an Investment Advisor?
Does hiring an investment advisor improve your portfolio returns? This question is often on the minds of our clients or prospective clients. The value of an advisor is often easier to describe than define numerically. Many clients find value in hiring an advisor to provide “peace of mind” and comfort that a professional is watching […]
The Mythology of Dividend Paying Stocks
Myth – n. A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. (American Heritage Dictionary) Dividend paying stocks seem to have attained mythical proportions in recent years as people look for ways to coax income from their investment portfolios. The idea that dividend paying stocks are somehow superior to other stocks, or […]
Are 401(k) Fees Preventing Your Retirement?
The Atlantic published an article over the weekend on 401(k) fees that really resonated with me. With employer retirement plans being one of the largest sources of savings, it is disheartening to continually see high fee 401(k) plans. Below is the article. Let us know if your 401(k) fees are eating into your […]
SURPRISES AT TAX TIME
As a volunteer tax preparer for the AARP, I often review tax statements from many different brokers and investment companies. The Income Tax preparation process always seems to identify examples of the value of working with a trusted investment advisor. Here are some examples from my experiences as a volunteer tax preparer for AARP from […]
Rockbridge Is Moving!
New Office Location Our relocation to the Merchant Commons building has been postponed until February 1, 2014. Our new address will be: 220 S. Warren Street, 9th Floor Syracuse, NY 13202 We are very excited to be moving into this unique downtown Syracuse space that will accommodate our growth. “Merchants Commons is a modern, urban mixed-use […]
Rockbridge Company Update
Last year turned out to be a fantastic year for the US stock market, and also for our investment advisory business. At Rockbridge, we experienced continued growth in the amount of assets we manage and the number of families who turn to us for advice and portfolio management. Our annualized growth rate has been 15%, […]
Market Commentary January 2014
2013 Year in Review It was a fantastic year overall for the financial markets, capped off with the S&P 500 Index closing at an all-time high of 1,848 (up 32.4%). In addition to the domestic stock market, developed international stocks also advanced 23.3%. In contrast, there were a few market segments that lagged for the […]
Rockbridge Company Update
New Logo Introduced in our last quarterly newsletter, we have finalized our logo design change. We are transitioning over to the new logo, displayed in this newsletter, and the full change will take effect January 1, 2014. New Website At the beginning of December, we will launch our completely new website design. We have simplified […]
DFA board director Eugene Fama awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics
Eugene Fama of the University of Chicago is one of three economists just awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. Fama is best known for his formulation of the “efficient market hypothesis,” or EMH. For investors, the main practical implication of the EMH is the superiority of “passive management” (which means matching market returns) rather than […]