
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.

February 2023 Market Update
Warm winter weather seems to have been fueled by hot January economic data reported in February. Employment, retail sales, manufacturing, and inflation all showed acceleration. Markets fell in sympathy. Why?

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.

January 2023 Market Update
Broad asset classes kicked off the new year higher after a not-so-jolly December. Sentiment turned decidedly positive based on slowing wage and job growth and cooling price pressures…

2023 Investment Market Outlook
Our investment views are based on a simple idea: as facts change, so may our outlook. The last few years have been an interesting period for this ethos as our annual outlook is beginning to feel like a game of ping-pong, oscillating between bulls and bears, as the environment shifts around us….

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.

September 2022 Investment Market Update
Ben is joined by Eddie Arraya to discuss several topics, including:
Market performance to date
Focusing on the Long-term
International Investing and Exchange Rates
How to invest for the rest of 2022