Investing
Sustainable Capitalism
Larry Fink would like you to know that he’s a capitalist. He’s the founder and CEO of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, so it makes sense that he would be. However, Mr. Fink has drawn criticism in the last few years for his annual letter to CEO’s, in which for the last several years…
Read MoreRussia, Ukraine, and Your Portfolio’s Path Forward
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on top of inflation concerns in the US and elsewhere, markets have recently been subject to greater volatility as well as declines in value. “Markets,” a term used to describe all global investors, price assets based on available information and the implications they derive from it. It’s reasonable, then, for…
Read MoreLet’s Talk About Risk
By most measures we’re experiencing the longest bull market in our history, starting in March of 2009 and briefly dropping by 30% in March of 2020, before recovering after the shortest bear market ever. As a result, we’re sharing the marketplace with a generation of investors who have never experienced a protracted bear market. These…
Read MoreDon’t Chase the Bus
“Never run after a bus or a stock. Just be patient — the next one will come along for sure.” André Kostolany André Kostolany was a Hungarian-born stockbroker who prospered during the reconstruction of Germany after WWII. He was known for his pithy insights into investors’ behavior, and his pragmatic understanding of the equity…
Read MoreCryptonite
As of this week the S&P500 is up 40% over the last year, and in the same time period Bitcoin is up over 300%. Why aren’t we all investing in Bitcoin? The recent volatility has shown us that it’s not a suitable investment for every portfolio. Part of Bitcoin’s recent wild ride can be attributed…
Read MorePayment for Order Flow –What is it, who does it, why it matters
The SEC defines payment for order flow (PFOF) as “a method of transferring some of the trading profits from market making to the brokers that route customer orders to specialists for execution.” This practice has been in the news lately, in part because of the recent scrutiny of trading practices at Robinhood – a firm…
Read MoreThe Investment Climate
Every year since the financial crisis of 2008-09, Laurence Fink, the founder and CEO of BlackRock, has written a letter to CEO’s. In this letter, the leader of the world’s largest asset manager outlines the priorities which his organization would like to see in the companies in which they invest. It’s a call to action,…
Read MoreCaveat Emptor
This past week we’ve witnessed a story of drama and tumult in the stock market; of great successes and stinging losses; of individual investors taking on the institutions. And subsequently, of cries of elitism and unfairness. All stemming from everyday investors, connected via a social media community, wildly buying shares in an unprofitable stock, GameStop.…
Read MoreInstitutional Partnership
There have been a pair of interesting developments in the investment custody business in the past month, as you may have been reading in the news. While neither of them directly impacts you, they do point out some of the wonderful benefits you enjoy as a result of your decision to work with us. Plus,…
Read MoreGood Advice, So Roundly Dismissed
The world of wise financial management is imbued with proven, effective – often simple – principles. Spend less than you earn; invest the difference. Maintain a personally-appropriate asset allocation of stocks, bonds, and cash. Diversify broadly within those asset classes. Keep investment costs low. Be mindful of tax consequences. Be patient and focused on the…
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