Markets & Research (login required)

Posted

Title

02/22/10

"Russell Investments - Economic Dashboard Update - January 31, 2010" - Russell Investments provides their economic summary for review.

12/09/09

"Inflation?" - With all the talk about our exploding money supply, it's an easy conclusion to assume that inflation is right around the corner. We've experienced a significant growth in money supply, but where did all that cash land? Take a read and find out.

11/20/09

"Did the buy and hold philosophy work?" - Fidelity provides a short insight on the buy and hold investor through the crisis of 2008 and how they may have done compared to those who got out when the crisis started. Fidelity examines the flow of funds to provide a unique look at the timing (or ill-timed) decisions of some investors.

10/27/09

"Fidelity - 3Q Commentary. Graphs and More Graphs." - Fidelity's Market Research and Education (MARE) releases their third quarter economic commentary and update. For those who love graphs, dig in. Client login is required.

10/22/09

"JP Morgan Commentary - Consumer's Role in Economic Recovery" - JP Morgan provides insight concerning the consumer's role in an economic recovery. Is the consumer the critical element to this recovery? Is it different this time compared to other recessions? They review the 'myth' concerning the level of consumerism needed for a proper economic recovery.

09/08/09

"JP Morgan Commentary - US Debt Commentary" - David Kelly from JP Morgan provides commentary concerning the US debt levels and future economic activity. This summary provides key insight concerning many of the questions we all have regarding the US dollar, debt, and GDP growth. Login is required.

02/20/09

"After the turn, the early bird got the worm." - When markets finally turn around, what percentage of the recovery is recouped within certain time periods? In this climate, it's certainly tough to imagine that a 45% return is possible within 12 months of the turn. Fidelity provides this commentary.

02/12/09

"Bear Necessities" - How does this bear market stack up against those of the past? Fidelity examines past bear markets and provides a simple summary of the performance of bear markets following attaining a market bottom. Recoveries can and do take place - what are the results?

02/02/09

"Gifting. It's not always a pretty package" - The process of gifting isn't as simple as you would think. Tax considerations are a major discussion when gifting is done. As your estate plans are taken into consideration, lifetime gifting can provide useful benefits for you and your beneficiaries.

01/20/09

"Rothing the IRA" - With 2010 approaching, how can all individuals benefit using the Roth IRA as a wealth accumulation and wealth transfer vehicle? This is an in-depth discussion of the Roth IRA conversion process.

Commentary and Opinion

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Title

05/01/10

"Taking a Breather" - The markets have been on a tear. With high returns from both equities and fixed income, it should lead investors to question when things will temporarily change course. This piece is written just to say 'take a breather' and prepare for short-term corrections to enter the picture during periods of long-term growth.

04/01/10

"Getting three, instead of two." - How would you get the advantage of paying taxes over three years, instead of two, when doing your Roth conversion in 2010? If you have a spouse with an IRA balance, this strategy might be an attractive option for your consideration.

03/24/10

"The Healthcare Bill, Explained." - Who wants to take a stroll through a 2,000 page healthcare bill when you can read a great synopsis from our friends at JP Morgan? Please take a read for a short commentary concerning the implications for the investor.

03/12/10

"A 'Valuation' Trap" - It's a classic mistake - Using the past to value the future. Valuations have been all over the map during 2008 and 2009. A one-sided traditional valuation method can lead you to miss some tremendous investment opportunities.

01/13/10

"Best Practices concerning Roth IRA Rollovers" - What are a few of the things that you can do to make your Roth Rollover even more successful? We provide comments concerning some tips and strategies that can improve the proper care and feeding of your newly-converted Roth IRA. This is a big decision for many people, and getting it right the first time is the only way to go.

01/04/10

"'Average' is Good Again" - Just imagine if 'average' returns were to come back into vogue for market investors. You would see lower volatility, more consistent returns from asset classes, and happier investors. The shortened 'boom to bust' cycles aren't necessarily the norm, and we don't see this ugly cycle repeating every decade ad infinitum.

09/15/09

"Beneficiaries and Taxation" - The assumption is that unless you have millions, your beneficiaries aren't subject to taxation once you pass away. This isn't always the case. We present a simple explanation of the 'how's and why's' behind the complicated maze of the taxation of your financial assets once they pass to beneficiaries.

05/18/09

"Did diversification really fail?" - 2008 was a difficult year. With rumors of diversification failing for investors, was this truly the case? It was a difficult year for investors, without much doubt, but diversification did prove useful since it kept you from ultimately piling all your financial assets into the worst performing asset class for 2008.