Midterm Madness
Midterm Madness? As this year’s midterm elections quickly approach, both political parties in the U.S. and the U.S. equity markets are facing uncertainty. The elections present the opportunity for Republicans to maintain control of Congress while Democrats are hoping to take control of the House of Representatives. Similar to equity markets, there are several “experts” […]
October 11th Market Update
If you watch the news or view your investment accounts daily, you will be aware that yesterday was a tough day for U.S. equity markets. All the major indices were in the red with the Nasdaq leading the way down 4.08% on the day. There are several reasons that you may hear in the media […]
Our Insights on the Recent Market Sell-Off
Keep everything in perspective: Monday’s headlines were scary if you saw a headline like this: “Dow plunges more than 1,100, largest single-day point drop in history.” Everything about that headline is true and Monday was certainly a miserable day for the markets, however, in percentage terms Monday only ranks as the 108th worst day in history. The […]
The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself
The CBOE Volatility Index or “VIX” is an index that measures the market’s expectation of volatility over the next 30 days. The actual computation of the VIX is complicated but is based on current S&P 500 option prices and the expected future option price movements. Investors that are worried about large moves in the market […]
Wall St. Strategists 2017 S&P 500 Projections
As 2016 has come to an end, we like to take a look back at the projections for the S&P 500 index that top Wall St. strategists made for the year and what they are expecting for 2017. Returns in the S&P 500 for 2016 were aided by a 4.64% gain following the presidential election and finished […]
Reaction to the U.S. Presidential Election
Please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and call or email a member of our team regarding the election results and how it affects your portfolio. We want to be sure that you are aware we are here to speak with you individually and address any inquiries you may have regarding your current […]
Don’t Be Afraid of Our Periodic Table
(Click to enlarge) The above chart is known as the “Periodic Table of Investments” and illustrates the previous 10 years annual performance of eight different asset classes. The asset classes represented in this particular chart are Large Cap Equities, Mid Cap Equities, Small Cap Equities, International Equities, Emerging Market Equities, Commodities, Bonds, Inflation […]
Don’t Allow Sensational Media Headlines to Affect Your Retirement Portfolio
“U.S. stocks hammered as Brexit shock rocks markets,” “Worst day in 10 months as Wall Street reacts to Brexit,” and “Brexit Panic – Should You Sell Your Stocks?” are just a few of the headlines following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union on June 24th, 2016, just a little over 3 weeks ago. Today […]
“Brexit” Stage Left
On Thursday the people of the United Kingdom voted in the British Exit Referendum (Brexit) to take United Kingdom out of the European Union to the surprise and disappointment of markets across the globe. The referendum was initiated by parliament and Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, in their attempt to win their elections in 2015. The […]
The Impact of Rising Rates on You
On June 15th, the U.S. Federal Reserve, commonly referred to as the Fed, made the decision to maintain the federal funds rate of 0.25-0.50%. The Fed cited slow economic growth, low inflation rates, a possible British exit from the European Union (“Brexit”), and a high unemployment report for May. The Federal Reserve has been in […]
How Much Could Your Children’s Diploma Cost You in the Future?
Do you or anyone in your family know someone that will be attending college in the future? Do you know that higher education tuition costs have increased faster than all other expenses for families over the past quarter century? Since 1983, college tuition and costs have risen 722%! J.P. Morgan Asset Management released a study […]
Is Your Advisor Working in Your Best Interests?
• Is your advisor prioritizing you? • Are you working with a fiduciary? • Are you working with an advisor that receives compensation for selling financial products? • What is the difference between a broker, a fee-based advisor, and a fee-only advisor? Broker – Paid commissions for each order placed for securities executed on […]
One investment strategy for greater income and less risk
One of the principles at Blue Bell Private Wealth Management is minimizing risk while achieving reliable investment returns. For investors looking to reduce risk and increase income, covered call option writing may work well within existing equity portfolios. This strategy can achieve market returns with less risk than the average mutual fund investment. Covered call writing is […]
2016 Year End S&P 500 Projections
With the bull market entering its seventh year, strategists on Wall Street are expecting another year of gains but with more volatility along the way. Last year market strategists were looking for a rise in stocks of 10% or more. There were several issues that caused stocks to lag in 2015: the uncertainty surrounding the […]
What Happens When the Fed Raises Rates
To move the U.S. economy out of the carnage left from the Great Recession, the Federal Reserve Bank adopted a near zero interest rate policy almost 8 years ago. This policy, along with FOMC operations such as QE1, QE2, etc. was unprecedented and has had an enormous impact on the stock market. The FEDs balance […]
What if you could reduce the ups and downs of the stock market?
If you are like other investors, you expect to see your investments grow over time. However, along this path to long-term growth, there will be turbulent times that could cause you to question your decisions: Am I invested in the right place? Is investing for me? I’m not sure I can handle […]
2015 Year-End S&P 500 Projections
With the bull market entering its sixth year, strategists on Wall Street are expecting another year of gains but with more volatility along the way. Of the 22 strategists we researched, all remain optimistic for the stock market in 2015, even with an anticipated interest rate hike by the Fed, falling oil prices and weakness […]
Putting Volatility in Perspective
27 Years ago today… You were probably grooving to the sweet sounds of Whitney Houston’s, I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), while… The market was crashing, struggling through the biggest single day decline in history also known as Black Monday. Putting Volatility in Perspective On this date in 1987, the S&P 500 fell 20.5%. This […]
3rd Quarter Market Recap
In our January newsletter, we wrote about the numerous market prognosticators predicting an “Imminent 10% decline in the US equity markets.” Another quarter has passed without the equity markets suffering through this expected correction. A pullback of 10% or greater will certainly come. However, as we have said many times, “Trying to time the stock […]
Riding the Stock Market Roller Coaster
For many investors, successfully investing in the stock market can be akin to children conquering their fear of a massive roller coaster. Watching the ride from afar and seeing other people hold their hands up in anticipation, it all seems so fun and draws you in imagining the thrilling possibilities, but the huge drop makes […]
As January Goes, So Goes the Market
You may have heard of the January barometer, which hypothesizes that the movement of the S&P 500 during the month of January sets the stock market’s direction for the year. It is reported that the January barometer has been correct 88% of the time since 1950. The S&P 500 declined 3.6% this past January. Steep […]