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Categories
Monthly Archives: May 2009
Find Your Balance, Boost Your Wealth
Congratulations to those who didn’t adjust their retirement accounts during the gloom of last year. Retirement accounts are long-term investment vehicles, and investors should stick to their investment strategy, during both the good times and bad. Some sold their equity positions as the market was down, and have now missed the rebound. However, it is [...]
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PE Ratios at Historical Levels – What Does it Mean?
Last week’s “Chart of the Week” (posted May 15th) illustrated the current plunge of S&P 500 earnings. Today’s chart illustrates how this plunge in earnings has impacted the current valuation of the stock market as measured by the price to earnings ratio (PE ratio). Generally speaking, when the PE ratio is high, stocks are considered [...]
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Utah Educational Savings Plan Day
As May 29th has officially been dubbed “Utah Educational Savings Plan Day,” I wanted to quickly review the benefits of utilizing a 529 plan to pay for a college education. 529 plans are a great savings tool because, although contributions are not deductible on a federal tax return, earnings withdrawn from the plan to pay [...]
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Volatility Index Passes Key Psychological Level
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, Wall Street’s favorite measure of investor concern, pierced the psychological 30 level Tuesday for the first time in eight months, indicating the perceived need for portfolio insurance is diminishing. The VIX, calculated from Standard & Poor’s 500 index option prices, tracks the market’s expectation of future volatility over [...]
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Market Pullbacks Lead To "Madness"
A major nationwide broker/dealer is currently running a television ad that I find shocking. In the ad, an animated character says “before, I was happy to just let my 401(k) sit there and do its thing. Now, that just seems like madness.” I think this ad is a perfect example of how out-of-whack emotions can [...]
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Corporate Earnings Still Struggling
While the stock market is up sharply since early March, corporate earnings continue to suffer. This chart (courtesy of chartoftheday.com) helps provide some perspective as to the magnitude of the current economic decline. The chart illustrates that S&P 500 earnings have declined over 90% over the past 20 months (with over 90% of S&P 500 [...]
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The Value of a Financial Advisor
New research shows 401k plan participants would be well-served to receive the services of a fee-only independent financial advisor. A Charles Schwab study revealed that 401k participants who sought professional assistance in allocating their assets earned a significantly greater rate of return than those who did not. The data examines 2006 returns and is broken [...]
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May 29th – Utah Educational Savings Plan Day
Morningstar has always been a fan of Utah’s 529 College Savings Plan. This pattern held true last week, when Morningstar named the Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) 529 one of the top five college savings tools in the country. The plan’s use of low-cost, flexible Vanguard index funds make it a Morningstar favorite. Fees are [...]
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Financial Services Firms Drop In Customer Satisfaction Levels