Stocks and Bonds
Alternative Investments
Many investors are less than enthused about the current valuations of traditional investments like stocks and bonds. After a decade-long bull market where the S&P 500 averaged more than 16%…
Read MoreHas the 60/40 portfolio lost its mojo?
Ever since the start of the huge bull market in the 1980s and 1990s, the 60/40 portfolio was a great way to reduce the volatility in one’s portfolio. The bond…
Read MoreMaximizing the tax benefit of charitable donations
With the new tax laws, it has become potentially more difficult to receive optimal tax treatment for one’s charitable donations. Married couples filing jointly now have a $24,000 standard deduction.…
Read MorePast performance is no guarantee of future results
There is a universal disclaimer that warns investors not to assume that the recent results of any particular investment will continue into the future. Despite this warning, when contemplating potential…
Read MoreUncapped index annuities as an alternative to bonds
I recently attended a lecture with Roger Ibbotson, an emeritus finance professor from Yale business school, and had the opportunity to speak with him afterward. Ibbotson recently completed extensive historical…
Read MoreHow diversified is the S&P 500 Index?
The S&P 500 consists of 500 of the country’s largest publicly traded companies. These companies include the following sectors: energy, technology, consumer staples, consumer discretionary, financials, health care, industrial, materials,…
Read More