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…
Behind the Scenes of Your Portfolio: Rebalancing
We are starting a new series of blog posts looking behind the scenes of how we manage portfolios for our ongoing clients. Many of these things have been discussed in various levels of detail in the past, but we wanted to give you a full picture of what happens on an ongoing basis. Let’s begin discussing “Rebalancing”…
Investment Note - Look for the Positive
Ben discusses the historical stock market positive performance amid endless negative news events, as well as the positive trends for this time of year.
How We Choose Investment Vehicles
There are many different opinions on the best way to build out an investment portfolio. As you may be aware, we have partnered with Fiducient Advisors to deepen our investment research capabilities since early 2022. We work directly with our team of over 40 analysts at Fiducient to research asset allocation decisions and the best way to structure the portfolio. This is especially valuable as the investment markets and the world generally seem to change at a much faster pace than before.
2023 International Investment Market Update – New Funds
Ben discusses the reasons behind the most recent changes to investment portfolios for Illuminate Wealth Management clients. This includes a discussion of the shifting investment environment and the need to move towards more active exposure to Developed International and Emerging Market stocks.
2023 Quarter 1 Investment Review & Outlook
Ben and Eddiediscuss the current investment market environment, particularly around the difference between the headline fears and long-term opportunities in the market ahead.
FSA vs HSA – What are the differences and how do I use them?
Put company benefits and IRS regulations together, and you’re just asking for complexity masked as an acronym. Many employers provide access to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA) to employees to allow pre-tax payments of various expenses. Let’s dive into the different types and strategies around each.
Bonds Make Sense Again!
Back in the Spring, I wrote a blog post about how bonds were riskier than stocks, taking into account the role that they each play in most investment portfolios. I discussed the concern that rising interest rates from such as low starting position would create havoc in portfolios. While I believed everything that I wrote, I did not anticipate just how quickly everything discussed would come to pass.