Seduction of pessimism is a common theme these days in market outlooks and commentary from the pundits... perhaps one appears wiser or sounds smarter when prognosticating on imminent or far-off disasters.
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What a few rough months of the year it has been so far. The unevenness of the markets, rising and falling, is enough to induce vertigo in many.
America has a revolution every four years. It's a quiet yet earth shaking one every time and it reaches its high point today. Casting of ballots is an exercise in power by the masses where the mighty and powerful await judgement upon them by the electorate.
Volatility is healthy and normal in bull markets - it allows for expectations to be realigned, (i.e., lower) thus letting the bull market refresh, so it can grow stronger for longer. Breathe deep, hold tight, it's never a straight line up for capital markets.
Sugar and disappointment are two things found in plenty at the marketplace. As the market feeds itself more sugar, disappointment awaits. Euphoria (the end stage of the Bull) signaled by folks chasing Unicorns and Rainbows is approaching.
Emotions have the capacity to fumble up your financial future: Watching with dread or exhilaration as balances move along with the market could lead to inefficient decision making. Safety stocks are outright unicorns.
Don'tread furtherif you are ok with that. The rebound from the depths of pessimist sentiment will be wonderful to enjoy. Temper your emotions of fear & uncertainty for tomorrow. We got this, like many times in the past.
Any time you hear of portfolio management services or wealth advisory services, you immediately may come to the conclusion that it is geared towards individuals who already have a fortune built up. However, that's not the case! In fact, those types of financial planning services are easily attainable to the average person because they can...
'If you don't know who you are, the stock market is an expensive place to find out...' (Adam Smith) Growth or Value, Large Cap or Small Cap, Domestic or Foreign, Active or Passive... which label do you swear by. It actually doesn't matter. Every equity styles over long windows of time will give similar returns,...
Money is fear... fear of having it and losing it. Fear of not having enough of it or having little of it. This fear is universal for the human race unless you are in the 0.01% of humanity that has gazillions to work with or has little use of it. Fear creates neurosis, creates short sightedness,
Recently, I had a chance to meet a few women in their early 20's; who have started working and are enjoying their newfound financial independence. I asked them - if you had some extra money on hand, what would you do with it? Most of them said they would 'save' for short-term goals e.g. like buying a branded item, for a holiday or a car.
Let me start this piece on a positive note: statistics suggest that more and more women are focusing on financial independence and becoming the primary breadwinners for their families. However, the not-so-good news is that a lot of us still tend to lag behind on important money matters, such as investing and retirement.
It's safe to say that becoming a mother tops the list of the best things that have happened in my life thus far! I find myself viewing the world around me with a brand new perspective where I'm no longer the epicenter. Overnight, I've become conscious of the same world being scary and treacherous but filled with wonderment and magic all at once as I alternate between my children's lenses and mine.
"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
When I think of NPI's approach to working with clients, I think of the two suits I've purchased in my life: the first from a clothing chain that had some nice, reasonably priced suits sitting in the aisles. I wasn't looking to be picky, all it took was a quick stop in the changing room and glance in the mirror to lead to my buying the suit.
Women and Math don't mix or aren't supposed to anyway, is what many of us have likely been led to believe. In my seven-year career in the financial services industry, I have encountered many a situations where I palpably felt under-valued as an employee, a lot of times in stark contrast to my male counterparts.
And that turns out to be the hardest thing to live with, not the regret or the fear, but the realization that the edge is so close to where we live." - Jess Walter, The Financial Lives of the Poets