Posts by Matt Hargreaves
Naming Your Beneficiaries
Naming your Beneficiaries: Avoid the Pitfalls We get a lot of questions from people on naming beneficiaries to their accounts. While the paperwork is relatively straightforward, it is important to pay attention to a few key areas to avoid some common mistakes. Updating your will is not enough Your beneficiary designations trump your will. Even…
Read MoreStock Market Valuations
Stock Market Valuations With the U.S. stock market (as measured by the S&P 500) at its second largest and second longest bull market ever (Source: LPL Financial), valuations have risen to near record levels. Matt Hargreaves, our Chief Investment Officer, has put together a short video to help you understand what we mean when we talk about market…
Read MoreMy Pilgrimage to Omaha – Matt Hargreaves
Two years ago, I read a book on the most famous investor in the world, Warren Buffett. It is called “The Snowball – Warren Buffett and the Business of Life”. It is an 830-page behemoth of a book that walks you through his childhood, the details of his investments and his personal life. The books…
Read More1st Quarter 2018 Commentary
Market Summary After an unusually quiet 2017, market volatility increased in the first quarter. U.S. stocks, as measured by the S&P 500, reached an all-time high in late January before finishing the quarter down approximately 8% from this high. From January 26th through February 8th, the S&P 500 was down more than 10% which…
Read More4th Quarter 2017 Commentary
Market Summary A strong economy, better earnings and pro-business policies helped push U.S. stocks to record high prices with record low volatility. U.S. stocks, as measured by the S&P 500, reached new all-time highs for the sixth consecutive quarter and were higher for the 9th consecutive year, making it the second longest bull market in…
Read More3rd Quarter Commentary
Summary of 3rd quarter 2017 commentary U.S. stocks reached new all-time highs for the fifth quarter in a row Volatility in the U.S. stock market remained near record lows The U.S. bull market is the second longest since World War II and U.S. stock valuations look high We are making significant changes in your…
Read MoreLRIA 2nd Quarter Market Commentary
U.S. stocks were positive and hit new all-time highs for the fourth consecutive quarter Non-U.S. stocks were also positive and outperformed U.S. stocks Stock volatility remained near record lows. The S&P 500 hasn’t had a 5% correction in over a year The U.S. economy had positive but slow growth. It is currently the third longest…
Read More1st Quarter 2017 Commentary
Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors Market Summary The rally from the fourth quarter of last year continued into the start of the first quarter as investors continued to bet on the Trump administration’s policies to cut taxes, reduce regulation and increase infrastructure spending. U.S. stocks, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, were up over 6%…
Read More4th Quarter 2016 Commentary LRIA
· President-elect Donald Trump’s election win had a big effect on the financial markets · U.S. stocks hit to new all-time highs while other classes like gold, bonds and non-U.S. stocks suffered after Trump’s win · The trend in U.S. stocks remained positive. Non-U.S. earnings started to pick up and investors expected increased earnings…
Read MoreLRIA 3rd Quarter Market Commentary
The S&P 500 broke above its two year trading range in July Stocks posted positive gains, led by non-U.S. stocks Elections typically don’t have long-term effects on markets however they do bring short-term uncertainty We don’t invest in Presidents. We invest in companies. The fundamentals of those companies matter the most in the long run…
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