Market Commentary October 2013
Market returns continued their upward trajectory again this quarter. The US stock market (S&P 500) was up 5.2% while International stocks came roaring back with an 11.6% return for the quarter. The steady interest rate environment caused bond returns to remain flat, up .36% for the 3-month period ending September 30, 2013. The bond market, […]
Rising Rates Hurt Bond Returns
If you did not know that rising interest rates hurt bond returns, you would be among the majority of US investors according to a recent survey by Edward Jones. The study found that two-thirds of respondents did not understand how rising rates will affect their portfolios. The bond math is complicated, but the result of […]
Boxing Match – Active vs. Passive Management
The active vs. passive investment management debate is one of the most highly discussed topics in the advisory industry. The 24-hour news coverage and the constant barrage of commercials make it appear that beating the market is a very easy task. First, let’s start with a brief definition of the two investment philosophies. Active Investment […]
Action Required: NYS STAR Registration Not Automatically Renewed
For almost all New York State homeowners, the School Tax Relief (STAR) program reduces the amount of property tax owed. This program saves families hundreds of dollars every year. Previously, a new homeowner registered for the STAR property tax exemption when purchasing a home. After the initial application, the STAR exemption was carried forward into […]
Geoff Wells featured in Market Watch article!
Market Watch recently released an article focusing on the confusion and stress felt by 401(k) savers. Investors feel the 401(k) options offered are too confusing and they don’t know what to do! Rockbridge financial planner, Geoff Wells, shared his feelings on how investors can eliminate that stress. Read the full article here (Market Watch Article)
Are You Prepared? New York State Estate Tax
Now that we are halfway through 2013 and the federal estate tax debate is far behind us, it is a good time to remember that as New York State residents, we are still subject to the state estate tax. A common phrase is, “Estate tax, I’m not wealthy enough to have to worry about that!” […]
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 […]