January 2011 The fourth quarter of 2010 turned out to be a great time for equity investors with benchmarks rising in excess of 10%. In fact, 2010 as a whole was quite profitable. Despite a significant decline in the second quarter (when the S&P 500 lost -11.3%), stocks gained 15% for the full year. The fourth quarter for bonds ... Continue Reading
October 3, 2010 By
September Surprise
October 2010 The markets have a way of doing the opposite of what most participants expect. That has certainly been true in 2010 for both the stock and bond markets. After a choppy and negative second quarter for the stock market (S&P 500 down -11%) and with the weak economic recovery (continued high unemployment), many feared a ... Continue Reading
July 3, 2010 By
Double Dip or Short Term Breather?
July 2010 The ink had barely dried on the April issue of the Tempo Vantage, in which I touted the remarkably calm stock market, when volatility abruptly returned. Suddenly every day became a seesaw battle reminiscent of the most recent bear market. During the second quarter most equity benchmarks fell in excess of 11%. As with other ... Continue Reading
April 3, 2010 By
Is Healthcare Reform a Game Changer?
April 2010 For a change, recent headlines in the business section are less about stock market performance and more about healthcare reform. That shift to something else, anything else, has led to a period of low stock market volatility. Low volatility generally bodes well for the stock market. Indeed, the first quarter saw a rise in ... Continue Reading
April 3, 2010 By
Signaling the End of the Recession
October 2009 A minor decline the last few weeks of September could hardly tarnish what was otherwise a spectacular quarter for the stock market. The S&P 500 returned 15.6% for the quarter, which brings the year to date return to 19.2%. Many people hardly noticed how good returns have been these past months. Several people (clients ... Continue Reading
November 3, 2009 By
To Convert or Not to Convert: That is the IRA Question
November 2009 Until now you may not have given a Roth conversion for your IRA (or other retirement accounts) much thought. After all, if your modified adjusted gross income was greater than $100,000 you were not even eligible. In 2010 that will change, however, as the income limit for Roth conversions is eliminated. Then anyone can ... Continue Reading
July 3, 2009 By
Getting Back on Track
July 2009 The stock market has made a tremendous turnaround in just a few months. After falling 25% from the start of 2009 through March 9, the market rose 36% through the end of the second quarter. More than half of that advance occurred the last three weeks in March, and the rest (15.9%) in the second quarter. Remember the ... Continue Reading
April 3, 2009 By
Diversification is not Dead
April 2009 The markets are continuing the roller coaster ride that began last September. To put this statement in perspective, consider this sequence of returns for the Standard & Poors 500: 08/28/2008 to 11/20/2008 -42.1% 11/20/2008 to 01/06/2009 +24.2% 01/06/2009 to 03/05/2009 -27.9% 03/05/2009 to ... Continue Reading
February 3, 2009 By
How You Can Avoid Investment Fraud
February 2009 In the wake of what appears to be the biggest investment fraud in history, perpetuated by famed investor Bernie Madoff, it is important to know how to make sure this will never happen to you. As with many things in life, a little common sense will go a long way. Here are some rules to follow: Avoid Illiquid ... Continue Reading
January 3, 2009 By
Market Will Turn Before Economy
January 2009 In the third quarter Vantage (October 2008), I indicated that there were reasons for optimism. At that time the market was down 25% in just the first few weeks of October. Initially my sentiment could not have appeared further from reality as the market continued down another 11% and there was (and still is) wide spread ... Continue Reading
December 3, 2008 By
Five Smart Investment Moves to Make Before Year End
Two thousand eight (2008) is shaping up to be one of the worst years for stock market performance in the past century. When all is said and done it may very well be the worst year ever. Most of us would just assume forget it and move on. But simply putting your head in the sand is the wrong thing to do when there are changes that you can ... Continue Reading
October 3, 2008 By
Room for Optimism Amid the Gloom
October 2008 While there have certainly been credit crunches in the past, it is now clear that this one is broader and deeper than any in at least the last 75 years. Large financial companies and government sponsored enterprises have failed or required assistance, which was almost unfathomable just a short time ago. What brought us to ... Continue Reading
September 3, 2008 By
Weathering the Crisis
September 2008 I have fielded a number of phone calls and e-mails the past few days expressing nervousness about the current state of the financial markets - understandably so. While I can't say for sure when this will end, I can provide some thoughts on the current situation and how to proceed from here. When it comes to business, ... Continue Reading
July 3, 2008 By
The Tempo Vantage
July 2008 Welcome to the first edition of the Tempo Vantage, a quarterly newsletter that will look at the current state of the financial markets, explore in greater depth salient themes, and report the results of Tempo Financial Advisors LLC's investment strategies. After a difficult first quarter, with the S&P 500 falling over ... Continue Reading
5 Things You Should Know About Your 401(k)
401(k) programs can often feel like a black box to both participants and plan sponsors. These 5 questions will help you demystify some important concepts. Is your 401(k) service provider a fiduciary?A plan sponsor is by definition a fiduciary. A fiduciary must: Act solely in the interest of plan participants and their ... Continue Reading