Tax Efficiency: Index Funds vs. Actively Managed Funds
Tax season is in full swing, which may bring up many questions and considerations about your investments. Am I saving in the most tax-efficient locations for my financial situation? Are my individual investments tax-efficient as well? A recent article by Vanguard discusses how broadly based index funds are more tax-efficient than actively managed funds. Rockbridge […]
Investing and Action Movies
When we go to a good action flick, we enjoy the suspense and surprises, but no one wants that experience when investing. James Bond and Mission Impossible would not be box office hits without some interesting plot twists, and an occasional victory by the villain, and yet the end result is usually something we expect […]
The Devil’s Financial Dictionary
There is an endless amount of terminology that surrounds the finance and investment industries. It can certainly be confusing to the average investor, and may be responsible for some uncertainty when it comes to how to invest and which advisor to trust. The Devil’s Financial Dictionary is a book that has recently been released by […]
Market Commentary October 2015
Stock Markets The chart to the right shows what we have had to put up with recently: all but REITs were down for the quarter (all were down since the beginning of the year), and emerging markets were downbig, showing variability over the trailing twelve months. These periods remind us that markets do go down, […]
Portfolio Versus Benchmark Returns
Measuring investment performance without a benchmark is like judging the results of a football game when you only know one team’s score. To get the real story, there must be a “measuring stick.” Obviously, in football you also need to know the opponent’s score. In the case of investment performance, results should be compared to […]
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 […]
Market Commentary- April 2013
Market Commentary Stocks wrapped up a stellar first quarter with the S&P 500 finishing at an all-time high, besting its last high in October 2007. For the quarter, large-cap stocks (represented by the S&P 500) were up 10.6%. Small-cap stocks also did quite well, returning 12.4% in the first quarter. International markets had a positive […]
Part 4: What Opportunities Have I Missed?
The last part of our “Why to Use a Financial Advisor” series involves missed opportunities. Knowing there are unknowns out there in financial planning is the first step in identifying areas that can be improved. A few examples of common missed items that we optimize for clients are: 529 Savings Plan in NYS – New […]
Part 3: Can’t I Do This Myself?
Believe it or not, the simple answer is, “You can, but most likely you won’t.” Emotions – How do you feel about a 10% market downturn? If you have $10,000 in savings, the $1,000 loss stings, but it is not the end of the world in terms of retirement. How about if you have $1,000,000? […]
Why Do I Need a Financial Advisor?
This is a very common question, and rightly so. In this series of blog posts, we will highlight four distinct areas where financial advisors add true value to clients. After reading, hopefully you will be able to evaluate and recommend the benefits of a financial advisor with a new light. Part 1: A Coach Can […]