Investing

The year 2022 is one that most investors might wish to forget. In addition to the bear market in equities caused largely by rising inflation and related economic uncertainties, we saw steep losses in bonds due to similar factors. In related news, though the 60/40 portfolio (60% stocks/equities, 40% bonds/fixed income) has been the mainstay of moderate-growth investors for decades, the poor recent returns in both asset classes may be causing some to wonder if it can be expected to deliver in the future as it has in the past.

We’ve written recently about the relationship between personality and financial behavior. And it’s a well-known fact that wealth accumulation and investment management is affected as much, if not more, by non-financial factors as by financial ones. Because financial outcomes depend so heavily on behavior, how you manage your emotions in connection with your finances plays a huge role in the type of investing and financial management experiences you have. In particular, the emotional urge to “do something” in response to short-term changes in market conditions often delays or derails many investors’ progress toward their long-term financial goals.

The federal debt limit is once again in the news as the country rapidly approaches a critical deadline on June 1st. Investors are understandably nervous about Washington failing to reach an agreement, a possibility that both sides agree would be self-inflicted damage. And while it’s unclear how this will play out in the coming weeks, the fortunate news is that financial markets are mostly taking these events in stride. How can investors maintain the right perspective around political and fiscal uncertainty?

Have you ever heard people say things like, “The market was up today,” or “I just looked at the news, and my stocks are all down”? Or maybe you’ve seen headlines like “Investors Moving into Bonds as Rates Fall,” or “Index ETFs Gain in Popularity.” Maybe you’ve wondered about this unfamiliar language that other people seem to understand. Maybe you wish you understood more about it yourself.

While major stock market indices have rallied this year, investors continue to receive mixed signals from the economy, and that has made a lot of people nervous.

We’ve all heard the adage: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” In fact, this concept is the cornerstone of one of the most important concepts for successful long-term investing: diversification. But for a few years now, many investors have taken a different approach: “Put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket very carefully.”