Portfolio Advisors Blog

By Ken Hatfield

Congratulations are extended to AJ Flores for recently completing and passing his Certified Financial Planning course and board exam.  The designation is awarded to those that have completed rigorous course work and testing and is recognized as the standard of excellence for financial planners. 

Many folks are feeling as much anxiety about the end of this contentious presidential election as they were feeling during the long months of campaigning. It’s impossible to predict with 100% accuracy what a new president and a new Congress are going to do. That feeling of uncertainty can send out ripples through our financial and political systems until we get a clearer picture of the agenda for the next four years.

As important as elections are, we believe that a solid financial plan gives you the tools to keep improving your Return on Life no matter what’s happening with our nation’s politics. Instead of fretting about what may or may not happen starting in January, try to focus on these three areas of your life that will help you control major transitions.

The anticipation building up to elections often brings with it questions about how financial markets will respond.  This interactive exhibit examines market and economic data for nearly 100 years of US presidential terms.  The data provided helps to reinforce the benefits of maintaining a long-term investment approach regardless of the administration in place.

Please click here to learn more and see how your favorite president did.

Portfolio Advisors continues to seek out ways to add value to our clients. As we look to build relationships with future clients and current clients, we have found a unique set of tools to help drive meaningful conversations surrounding your money.

Let us introduce you to Return on Life. Focusing first on your life and second on your money, our objective is to help you live your best life possible with the resources you possess. These collaborative tools will bring your life to the center of our planning discussions. Our conversations and future recommendations can be shaped in a way that helps you achieve your best life possible. To get started, click here to find out your Return on Life Index score. Upon completing your Return on Life Index, our office will be in touch to discuss your results. If you wish to schedule a time to learn more about our life-centered planning process, please find a time here that works best with your schedule.

Historically, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in the US, though recently that hasn't been the case.  While disappointing periods emerge from time to time, the principle that lower relative prices lead to higher expected returns remains the same.  Logic and history argue for a steadfast commitment to value stocks, as the data covering nearly a century illustrates.  Click here to view this illustration.  

We believe that those who invest for the long-term are best served by staying in their seats during times of extraordinary market turbulence.  Emotional and anxiety driven efforts to get out of the market when times are bad and get back in the market when times are better often lead to costly results. 

To help illustrate this point, we have attached a piece provided by Dimensional Fund Advisors entitled “Recent Market Volatility” (click here).  The piece graphically displays the market (as defined by the Russell 3000) during the 41-year period from 1979 thru 2019.  We note that significant market volatility occurred throughout the period and that substantial intra-year losses were experienced in all but 7 years.  However, “despite substantial intra-year drops, calendar year returns were positive in 34 years out of the 41 examined.”   As such, one might observe that trying to make course corrections in advance of unpredictable yearly market swings is more a matter of luck than of skill.

Congratulations to our own Devin Watts who recently completed and passed his Certified Financial Planning course and board exam leading to the sought-after CFP designation.  As a result, Devin's role will continue to be expanded, having more direct client involvement as he continues to develop as a Financial Advisor. 

Devin became an intern at Portfolio Advisors in 2016 after meeting with Portfolio Advisors management staff attending a job fair at California State University, Fresno.  He became a permanent member of our team in 2018.  Devin, a Craig School of Education graduate in 2018, was wed to his wife Hannah in 2017. 

March 17, 2020

Yep.  We’re officially in a “bear market” and you are wondering what you should do next.  In most cases, the answer is nothing at all.  A bear market, defined as a decline of more than 20% from its previous high, occurs with some regularity and has occurred approximately once in every five years since WWII.    

Due to concerns over the current health crisis we are encouraging alternatives to face to face meetings.  In doing so, we are now conducting client meetings on the phone using screen sharing and video conferencing software (Zoom) where possible.

In addition to the above, we are reducing in-office staff to essential personnel with most of our staff working remotely.  As such, all staff members have been assigned a direct phone number where they can be reached during normal business hours.  Additionally, all staff members will remain available via email and will check their messages regularly.  We do not anticipate interruptions to our normal work flow or our ability to serve you.