Silicon Valley Bank: A Perspective

We’re following the story of the failure of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday March 10.  While this is the largest bank failure since 2008, it’s not that unusual for a regional bank to fail.  Between 2016-2020 there were 16 bank failures, half of which occurred prior to the pandemic.  SVB was a large player in…

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Simple but not Easy

We’re all plenty familiar with the axioms of investing: spend less than you earn; keep investment costs low; create clear, appropriate investment goals; choose an appropriate risk profile and a balanced asset allocation; diversify; rebalance; to name just a few. They’re pretty straightforward – true? – and not so difficult to believe. 2022 has also…

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Economic Commentary and Investment Update

In 2022, the war in Ukraine and resulting sanctions, COVID supply chain shocks, and a re-ordering of global trade have leveled a solid bodycheck on the US and global economies. Even the strongest skater is likely to wobble under such circumstances. We’ll highlight a few themes which have occupied and at times confounded investors in…

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Caveat 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.…

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(What You Already Know About) What to Do When Markets Sell Off

Recently, Vanguard’s Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis published an article representing the firm’s guidance to investors on how to react when markets fall in value. What’s most notable to us is what they don’t espouse in such historically common conditions. Missing is such “wisdom” as “look for quality names to pick up at more attractive…

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