Last week, a client asked about the NASDAQ 100 and its rebalance. This week, I was talking to a client about the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). This long-standing market index just posted its best winning streak since the 1980s, posting 13 straight days of positive closes (it fell short of 14 straight days by […]

The news media has been discussing a relatively rare occurrence this week – a special rebalance of a key market index. A client asked me why it’s happening and what it may mean for markets and individual companies. Let’s take a look What is the NASDAQ 100? The NASDAQ 100 is a common equity market […]

I’d imagine whatever professional field you are in, you have a certain vernacular that has become second nature to you. So much so that you don’t even realize when you’re using terms that those outside your profession may not immediately understand. This is certainly true for me and the terminology that accompanies a career in […]

***** Most clients know how much I respect Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, so it goes without saying that I tuned into the annual meeting this past weekend. A client asked what I thought of the meeting and after that brief discussion, I thought it was worth summarizing five top lessons I gathered (with a […]

Interest rates have never been such a hot topic of conversation! It seems you can’t turn on the news or talk to your friends lately without someone bringing up interest rates (did you see what you can earn on cash? look at how much mortgage rates have gone up! should I just buy the 2-year […]

Activist investors have been in the business news in recent months, as they have staked claims in household names such as Disney and Salesforce. A client recently asked what exactly makes an investor an activist investor and what I thought about their role and resulting impact on the companies they target. Let’s dive in! What […]

In talking with a client and their tax advisor this week, there was some confusion over why mutual funds make distributions (typically in December) that result in unexpected tax consequences. It’s a great question and one you should keep in mind for your portfolio, especially in 2022. Let’s dive in. What is a mutual fund […]

It’s hard to escape the constant chatter about rising interest rates lately, so it was only natural for a client to ask about the interplay between interest rates and asset prices. Interest rates are an essential driver of asset prices. You don’t have to take it from me – here’s a quote from famed investor […]

When in a meeting recently, I was explaining to a client a quick way to think about varying rates of return – the Rule of 72.  The client wasn’t familiar with it – so I thought a few of you may also wish to learn more about this simple but effective formula. It’s called the […]

A silver lining of recent interest rate increases is the ability to earn some level of interest on cash balances. When reviewing the various options with a client recently, she asked what exactly a money market fund was and whether there were any risks associated with this investment vehicle. Let’s take a closer look at […]