Portfolio Advisors Blog

The year 2011 could be remembered for the unsettling volatility seen in the S&P 500 index, a measure of large company US stocks. January offered a promising start with a 2% gain and by April, the S&P was up 8%. Wobbling followed during May and June, and volatility really began in mid-July with the index diving 17% in just 11 days. In August, the index rose or fell 4%+ on 5 of 6 consecutive days.

Happy New Year! We hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season.

With the New Year comes along new reporting from Schwab for taxable accounts. The purpose of this posting is to address some new IRS tax reporting requirements and to explain how the changes might affect you.

I was listening to a news commentary on PBS last night and the discussion revolved around the state of the economy, 8 to 9% unemployment and the housing and financial mess that we continue to face. All agreed that these are indeed tough times. However, one of the guests reminded the others that tough times are not new and that over time we have always worked our way through seemingly impossible situations.

When you refer someone to us, we regard it as a sign of trust and a compliment of the highest order. Referrals, after all, are the lifeblood of our business and are the largest source of new business for our firm. As such, you should know that we will do everything we can to meet and exceed the expectations of people you refer to us.

Thanks to all for attending our “Investment Strategies in Turbulent Times” presentation held on Nov. 14 at California State University Fresno, University Business Center. There were over 90 in attendance.

October was quite a month from an S&P 500 standpoint. The index grew 10.9%, its largest growth month since 1991. This growth spurt followed, as you may recall, 5 consecutive months of decline.

We’re certainly seeing big daily, weekly and monthly swings in stock market indices…. turbulent times indeed. But, with stock markets, shouldn’t we expect a degree of turbulence? Since 1980, for example, the average intra-year (that is, during each calendar year) S&P 500 decline exceeded 14%. Restated, the average high-to-low decline during those calendar years exceeded 14%.

Thanks for taking a look at our updated website and blog! We have been hard at work to make the website compelling and relevant. We have also changed the look and functionality of our blog and we invite you to follow us by submitting your email address. When a new item posts, you will receive an email alerting you with a link to the item. We plan to add one or two new topical items per month and hope that you will find them interesting. Some other new blog functions include the ability to easily email an item to a friend, or to post it to your own blog. You will also be able to share the post through your own Twitter and Facebook pages.

We're very excited to have two new, talented individuals join our team.

Ken Hatfield (a longtime client of the firm) joins us after a career with the Fresno Bee. Ken will act as Financial Advisor and Director of Client Relations.

A dying man's wish to bring the knowledge of Wall Street to Main Street.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/gordon-murray-hero-wall-street-12691101

The large budget deficits run by the U.S. government are a big concern to many. What does history tell us of the implications? To economic growth? To stock markets? This study by Marlena Lee sheds light on the topic.