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“If I had a million dollars…” is a refrain often spoken and contemplated. From song lyrics to day dreams, we spend time fantasizing about what we would do with such a large sum of money. For many, accumulating a million dollars seems unattainable, but in reality, it can be achieved. The keys are: utilizing a […]
Since the beginning of December, U.S. stocks (S&P 500) are up more than 3%. The U.S. bond market is right at break even for the month and has shown only a fraction of the volatility. Foreign markets are down much more so far in December. Foreign developed markets are down more than 4.5%, and emerging […]
For most, November means the holiday season is finally upon us. Halloween seems to serve as the unofficial holiday wake up call, but then the shorter, cooler days and changing colors serve as confirmation that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It was easier for investors to focus on the holidays in November as the […]
Of the world’s 500 largest companies, how many do you think are domiciled outside of the U.S.? Would finding out the answer is 368 – almost 75% of the total – surprise you? Or answer this: how much do you think the U.S. contributes to the world’s output, its global gross domestic product? Most Americans […]
“The investor’s chief problem—and even his worst enemy—is likely to be himself.” Why is this so? This paper, part two of a series, uses the tenets of behavioral finance to examine how and why our actions often impede good financial decision making. In part one, (SAF Behavioral Finance – Part I) we introduced the topic […]
People in the U.S. sometimes debate whether September is a summer or an autumn month. For some, the Labor Day holiday marks the end of summer. For those with a more scientific point of view, September 23rd is halfway between the summer and winter solstices, meaning September 23rd marks the first day of fall. In […]
Concerns about Global Growth
In January, U.S. stocks posted their biggest monthly losses in a year while bond prices traded higher and market volatility surged mostly due to concerns about the lack of global economic growth in 2015. February experienced almost the exact opposite with U.S. stock markets hitting new highs. The S&P 500 gained 5.49%, the Dow Jones […]