Blog | Podcast Appearances
Q2 2024 Investment Review & Outlook
Ben Hockema reviews the 2nd quarter investment market returns and discusses what might lie ahead for investors.
May 2024 Market Update
Key Observations
A fixation on the direction of interest rates continues to drive prices in the short term, including in May. Rates moved lower, pushing rate-sensitive asset classes ahead of their peers.
However, we take this opportunity to step back from the short-term focus on rates and discuss the findings of our latest long-term study on the efficient allocation of active and passive investing.
Notably, 92% of 10-year top-quartile managers spent at least one 3-year period in the bottom half of their peer group, highlighting that success is not linear. We have also added nuance to our review of efficient allocation in markets most likely and profitable to engage in active investing.
A Brief History of… the Financial Services Industry
What is a financial advisor?
Do they hang out on the floor of the stock exchange?
Do they sell insurance?
Do they need to be plugged into their charging station at the end of the day?
The Financial Services Industry has change A LOT over the last 50 years.
Let’s look at the 3 major shifts in the way that mass affluent and high-net worth consumers have been served, as well as a look ahead to what is likely the 4th major iteration of advice in the coming decade, including the integration of Artificial Intelligence.
April 2024 Market Update
• Escalating conflicts in the Middle East have led investors to question what impact expanded conflict may have on their portfolios. Increasing oil prices has modestly priced in risk of expanded conflict into neighboring petrostates Iran and Israel.
Behind the Scenes of Your Portfolio: ETF & Mutual Fund Research & Monitoring
For many investors, once they have made a decision to purchase an ETF or mutual fund, they tend to breathe a sigh of relief and move on. Although there needs to be significant upfront due diligence in selecting investments, we do not recommend blindly trusting that the managers remain consistent, nor that the specific investments continue to fit into your portfolio. One important ongoing aspect of investment management is to ensure the investment vehicles recommended remain as high conviction as when we first recommended them.
Q1 2024 Investment Review & Outlook
Ben Hockema reviews the first quarter performance and updated economic data, while also looking ahead to the rest of 2024.
Behind the Scenes of Your Portfolio: Taxes & Asset Location
Often overlooked when thinking about your portfolio are the different ways that taxes are generated, based upon the type of accounts that own various asset classes. According to the “Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha” framework study from August 12, 2022, just by optimizing the location that different asset classes are held can add up to 0.60% annually in higher after-tax returns for investors!
February 2024 Market Update
Stocks advance in February with indexes like the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ hitting new highs. While a new high for an index is not a new thing, in fact it happens quite regularly and often without material consequence, there was a recent new high that is worth reflecting on. The Japanese equity index (the Nikkei 225) hit a new all-time high for the first time since 1989! We’ll do the math for you: that’s 34 years…