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 […]
Patience and Perspective
No one likes to see their savings decline in value. Times like these are not much fun for investors, watching markets “correct” in the face of abundant global uncertainties. As investment advisors, one of our most important jobs is to help long-term investors keep hold of their long-term perspective. Here are some things to consider. […]
Active or Passive?
In a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article, the debate over whether to use active or passive investments was addressed. The conclusion was just use both! Let’s take a look at the five reasons they give to defend this neutral stance and see if they hold up to scrutiny. 1. Use index funds for efficient […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]