Interest rates have risen significantly in 2013 with the five-year Treasury rate up 0.67 percent through the end of the second quarter. To put this increase in perspective, from the end of 1962 through 2012, there were 17 other years when interest rates increased this much or more over an entire year. The recent increase in interest rates has led to questions about why they have risen so substantially and what the implications are…
Overview: The following are some key investing principles that investors should know. The Importance of Education It is our desire and intent to educate clients about how capital markets work and to provide them with the information necessary for their financial well-being. The advice to invest in passively managed funds is significantly different from most…
Overview: Stay the course. We repeat that advice again and again. It is a message we would not repeat if we did not truly believe it was in your best interests. The following discusses why our message is the same regardless of market conditions. Our advice has always been — and will always be —…
Investors have been living with low interest rates from late 2008 through current times. Interest rates have been so low for so long that the recent upswing in rates caught many investors by surprise. From the beginning of the year through June 20, the 10-year Treasury rate went up by 0.67 percent from 1.75 percent…
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Overview: The following rules can help investors build and adhere to a well-designed investment plan. The following investing guidelines may be instrumental in giving investors the best chance of achieving their financial goals. Constructing an Investment Plan Recognize that the ability, willingness and need to take risk is different for everyone. Plans fail because investors…
After the bear markets of 2000–2002 and 2008, we seem to have entered an era in which investors wonder whether a market collapse is right around every corner, even following new market highs. The S&P 500 Index achieved a new high at the end of the first quarter, closing at 1,569 after beginning the year at 1,426, but has experienced considerable volatility surrounding the events in Boston. So, is it reasonable to fear a severe market downturn given this generally good performance in tandem with recent events?
With the markets predominantly producing positive news so far this year, you would think that would have investors feeling optimistic. But are they? Carl Richards, director of investor education for the BAM ALLIANCE, senses what is known as the “wall of worry” on Wall Street — that the markets are doing well in spite of…
In this article, we address why we believe the decision of hiring an advisor should not be based solely on fees. The quantity and quality of the services provided varies greatly from advisor to advisor. When you interview potential advisors, you should look for the advisor who gives the best advice and is the best…
Expensive Flip-flops that last, or cheap flip-flops that break – which would you choose? This sketch by Carl Richards illustrates the difference in this purchasing behavior.
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A recent New York Times article profiled Dimensional Fund Advisors and its role as shareholder activists. DFA was ranked No. 1 in shareholder activism by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in June 2011. The article compared Dimensional with Vanguard, which was ranked last in shareholder activism by the same survey. It…
With the eleventh hour passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, some might think we have put the fiscal cliff behind us. Unfortunately, this is not the case. While the federal government has temporarily suspended the debt limit until May, without government action the mandatory spending cuts associated with the fiscal cliff will begin in March. With this continued level of uncertainty, it might seem like an unnerving time to remain invested and tempting to try to outguess the market…
We use both individual bonds and bond funds for our clients. It can be confusing why one strategy for buying bonds is preferable to another, but in reality the reasoning is fairly straightforward: It comes down to costs, diversification and liquidity needs. Individual Bonds Our overall approach to investing emphasizes taking risk through a diversified…
Author: Weston Wellington, DFA Judging by the headlines in the financial press, investors spent much of the past year anxiously awaiting one calamity after another that failed to occur. The plunge off the so-called fiscal cliff was averted. The euro zone did not fall apart. China’s economy and stock market did not crash. The bond…