We’d like to invite you to subscribe to the Financial Synergies YouTube Channel and our Simplify Your Financial Life Podcast! Recently, we’ve been producing regular video content on our YouTube channel, with topics on investing, the markets, and financial planning. Check out our latest video from Will Goodson on social security taxation. We’ll be building out this channel with expert insights into financial and investing topics from our advisors and investment professionals over the coming months. Check out the channel and subscribe today: Financial Synergies YouTube Channel And over the last ..read more

Although inflation has declined recently, it’s still top of mind for many. You may wonder whether stock returns will suffer if inflation keeps rising. Here’s some good news: Inflation isn’t necessarily bad news for stocks. A look at equity performance in the past three decades does not show any reliable connection between periods of high (or low) inflation and US stock returns. Since 1993, one-year returns on US stocks have fluctuated widely. Stock returns can be strong, or weak, or in between when inflation is high. For example, returns were relatively strong in 2021 but poor in 2022. Twenty ..read more

Last Week on Wall Street Investor enthusiasm for stocks remained strong last week, buoyed by declining bond yields in a holiday-abbreviated trading week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 1.30%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.16%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.98% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was up (+1.06%).1,2,3 If you’d rather digest this market recap in video format, here you go. The article continues below video. ? If you would like to have immediate access to videos when we post them, subscribe to our ▶️YouTu ..read more

While it may not feel like it, as investors we truly do have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Over the past year, investors have navigated both short-term challenges due to interest rate swings, the banking crisis, and political battles in Washington, as well as long-term uncertainty resulting from inflation, the Fed, geopolitical conflicts, and more. And yet, through all of this, major market indices have held onto strong gains, reversing much of last year’s declines. Below are three insights to help us reflect on the past year.   Many major asset classes have made strong ga ..read more

Last Week on Wall Street Stocks extended their November rally last week as investors cheered lower-than-forecast inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.06%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.31%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 2.42% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased 4.51%.1,2,3 **My apologies for not including a video commentary this week. I’m in the Texas Hill Country for the holiday and my connection is pretty spotty ?. Stocks March Higher A better-than-anticipated consumer inflation number on Tuesday sen ..read more

In the market for a new home? It’s no secret that the days of 2-3% mortgage rates are over. And they may not be coming back any time soon. Are these higher rates convincing you to stay put as long as possible? With mortgage rates pushing 8%, you might think a reasonable mortgage is out of reach. What may surprise a lot of people (especially the younger generations), is that current rates aren’t actually that high, historically speaking. They just look high because we’ve gotten used to low rates over the last few decades.   But here’s some good news: You actually have more leverage as a ..read more

Last Week on Wall Street A powerful Friday rally left stocks higher last week, extending the market’s early November gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.72%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.35%. The Nasdaq Composite index jumped 2.40% higher for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dropped 0.90%.1,2,3   If you’d rather digest this market recap in video format, here you go. The article continues below video. ? If you would like to have immediate access to videos when we post them, subscribe to our ▶️YouTube Channel: @Finsyn ..read more

There’s a common saying among investors that, “markets take the stairs up and the elevator down.” This is because the long-term trends that drive markets higher tend to be slow moving and compound over time, whereas the events that create short-term panic tend to be sudden and unexpected. For a PDF copy of this Portfolio Manager Insights article, CLICK HERE. At the same time, history shows that even new market lows tend to be higher than previous peaks. In other words, markets often take the stairs up several floors before riding the elevator down one or two levels. For long-term investo ..read more

Last Week on Wall Street Stocks ripped higher last week on a dramatic retreat in bond yields triggered by easing inflation and a slowing labor market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 5.07%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 surged 5.88%. The Nasdaq Composite index rocketed 6.62% higher for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 4.43%.1,2,3   If you’d rather digest this market recap in video format, here you go. The article continues below video. ? If you would like to have immediate access to videos when we post them, subscribe to ou ..read more

The author F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” This concept, often referred to as “cognitive dissonance,” is something all investors must grapple with on a regular basis. To download a PDF copy of this article, click here. This is because financial markets can swoon seemingly without reason and, in the worst case, in a way that appears to contradict underlying fundamentals. In these situations, investors can either try to justify th ..read more