For families with children under age of 18 as of December 31, 2017, the sate of Wisconsin is giving parents $100 for each child.
Tuning out the Noise
If you are feeling uneasy about your investment performance during these periods of volatile market activity, watch this video, “Tuning Out the Noise”, to help remind you of the importance of remaining disciplined during uncertain times.
Tax Bunching
We Americans are a giving people. For 2016, $390 billion was donated to charity. Individuals (as opposed to foundations and corporations) donated $282 billion of the $390 billion (72%). Read All
Now and Then
Markets have been up and down this year, which can be hard for many investors to live with. During periods like these, hearing stories about how other people deal with uncertainty can be helpful.
New Client Portal
Please read about our New Client Portal! The attached message was sent in Mid-March, with the New Client Portal emails sent a few days after that. If you have not established access to the New Client Portal and would like to do so, please contact our office.
Back to the January Start
The investing world always presents us with moments of “Firsts”. The news media is great at highlighting the first time the market did this or did that. However, they leave out much of the context.
2018 Forecasts
“The general is well aware that your division’s forecasts are worthless. However, they are required for planning purposes.” Kenneth Arrow, a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in 1972 who recently passed away in 2017, began his career in the Weather Division of the Army Air Force during World War II. His division was in charge of predicting future weather patterns. Given his economic and statistician background, he recommended to his general that his unit be disbanded because they were no better at predictions than historical averages for the day in question. As the quote above suggests, the division remained intact.
2017 Market Review
At the beginning of 2017, a common view among money managers and analysts was that the financial markets would not repeat their strong returns from 2016. Many cited the uncertain global economy, political turmoil in the US, implementation of Brexit, conflicts in the Middle East, North Korea’s weapons buildup, and other factors. The global equity markets defied their predictions, with major equity indices in the US, developed ex-US, and emerging markets posting strong returns for the year.
Wish Lists
It is the Christmas season and families are exchanging wish lists for Christmas. As a father of 11-year old twins, my view of Christmas lists has been evolving as my kids have been getting older. Gone are the days of Emily and I suggesting “appropriate” ideas that just happen to make it onto their lists each year. These were great experiences in expectation management. Now, they are more independent and less willing to listen to our advice.
Tax Cuts and Job Act
Summary information related to the recent Tax Law changes.