It was another remarkable year for the U.S. stock market in 2025. The S&P 500® Index rose nearly 18% with 46 new all-time highs during the year! While undoubtedly a good outcome, a single return figure fails to capture the full experience of investors. Figure 1 helps fill in the gaps, capturing major headlines from […]
What Investors Can Learn From 2025 Market Trends Read More »
OVERVIEW: Market Summary World Stock Market Performance World Asset Classes US Stocks International Developed Stocks Emerging Markets Stocks Select Market Performance Select Currency Performance vs. US Dollar Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Commodities Fixed Income Global Fixed Income Impact of Diversification Quarterly Topic: Sometimes It Helps to Pay Less Attention CONTINUE READING
Fourth Quarter 2025 – Quarterly Market Review Read More »
Last year, I visited New York and found myself walking through Greenwich Village. I couldn’t help but notice how the neighborhood looked qualitatively different from the 1940s photographs I’d seen and from my memories of it when I lived there more than 10 years ago. Sure, there were still some record stores and a few
The Next Chapter: Short-Term Thinking and Long-Term Planning Read More »
OVERVIEW: Market Summary World Stock Market Performance World Asset Classes US Stocks International Developed Stocks Emerging Markets Stocks Select Market Performance Select Currency Performance vs. US Dollar Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Commodities Fixed Income Global Fixed Income Impact of Diversification Quarterly Topic: AI Is Everywhere, Including Your Portfolio CONTINUE READING
Third Quarter 2025 – Quarterly Market Review Read More »
OVERVIEW: Market Summary World Stock Market Performance World Asset Classes US Stocks International Developed Stocks Emerging Markets Stocks Select Market Performance Select Currency Performance vs. US Dollar Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Commodities Fixed Income Global Fixed Income Impact of Diversification Quarterly Topic: Is Gold A Safe Haven? CONTINUE READING
Second Quarter 2025 – Quarterly Market Review Read More »
After a 26% total return from the S&P 500® Index in 2023, few predicted 2024 would deliver another big year of gains for U.S. stocks. But it did. Not only did the S&P 500 post a 25% return for the year, but the index reached 61 new all-time highs. Together, 2023 and 2024 form the
It’s Been a Whale of a Year Read More »
The US presidential election has concluded, but uncertainty remains about what comes next. For those focused on market returns, it can be helpful to look at the historical success of markets across presidencies. It’s important for investors to remember that whether you are optimistic or pessimistic about the future state of the world, you should be
Election Results Shouldn’t Dictate Your Investments Read More »
I often note that the biggest risks in life are not in the stock market. If you want real risk, I say, get married. And if you want more risk, have children. People laugh because the point is obvious. Yet that point is regularly lost when we speak about financial well-being, neglecting life well-being. Financial
Life Well-Being as a Portfolio Read More »
In recent weeks, several Wall Street market strategists have warned of lower expected returns for U.S. stocks over the next decade. Current valuations have been a common basis for these pessimistic views. The difficulty of predicting the absolute level of future stock returns over any period, particularly short periods, is well documented (see Welch and
What Today’s Valuations Are Telling Investors Read More »
OVERVIEW: Market Summary World Stock Market Performance World Asset Classes US Stocks International Developed Stocks Emerging Markets Stocks Select Market Performance Select Currency Performance vs. US Dollar Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Commodities Fixed Income Global Fixed Income Impact of Diversification Quarterly Topic: Is It Time to Sell Stocks? CONTINUE READING
First Quarter 2022 – Quarterly Market Review Read More »