Many investors, including some of REDW Stanley’s clients, are a bit uncomfortable with the present state of the stock market. They feel that valuations are too high, that the extended life of the recovery is undeserved, and that, any day now, the other shoe is going to drop (meaning the market will experience a correction – which, incidentally, is a normal part of an economic cycle). What can we, as your financial partner, do to help improve your comfort level? Read more. Read More

Perhaps one of the most common comparisons is the one comparing investing to gambling. The similarities are undeniable. You can lose all your money or end up with a great deal of money. Even the indicators of success and language are similar. We talk about being up or being down, being in the red or being in the black, the big loss or the big win. Both utilize statistics and we talk about the odds of certain outcomes. However, there are major, fundamental differences that we will explore. Read more. Read More

One of the first actions taken by the new Administration was to rescind the new fiduciary rule for retirement accounts that was to be phased in beginning April 10, 2017, with final implementation by January 1, 2018. The rule was designed to ensure that recommendations by financial advisors were made in the best interests of their clients without any conflicts of interest.

That new fiduciary rule was years in development. The Department of Labor proposed the rule on April 20, 2015, announced the final rule on April 6, 2016, and formally published the rule on April 8, 2016. You may be wondering if rescinding the rule will impact your retirement accounts with REDW Stanley. Read more. Read More

President Trump certainly elicits strong emotions from a large percentage of the population. In the days following the election, many equity markets went up in value. Generally, the policies of the new President were viewed as positive for economic growth. As economic data continued to improve since November of 2016 both domestically and globally, capital markets continued to improve. With the new Congress, we have begun to learn that legislative change does not necessarily go easily.

Politics, policies, and economic growth certainly intersect, and it is easy to allow one’s political leanings to overly influence investing decisions or outlook. What then are the broad principles that should be used in evaluating policies? Read more. Read More

We’ve recently had a number of REDW Stanley clients object to our established process for wiring money—calling it “convoluted” or “so not a part of the 21st century” because it’s still largely paper- and people-based. But while I do agree the process may seem overly complicated or outdated, there are very good reasons why this is so—and they all have to do with protecting our clients. Read more. Read More

For our entire history as a nation we have debated the question, “How much authority should be centralized?” This discussion is not limited to the US, but is global in nature. After the 2008 crisis, many argued that economic decision-making needed to be increasingly regulated and centralized.

As the recovery that started in 2009 failed to reach historic averages, questions arose over whether or not the amount of regulation and centralization was too much. In 2016, two events demonstrated the level of discontent with the “new normal.” Read more. Read More

As 2016 comes to a close and we look forward to 2017, it’s a good time to review those basic investing decisions that all investors must make to increase the likelihood of achieving their financial goals and objectives. The basics of investing are just that—basic tenets to follow that may result in accumulating assets that can help investors successfully attain whatever goal they have established, such as paying for a college education, taking the family on a vacation to celebrate a significant event, buying a first or second home, or funding a rewarding retirement. Read more. Read More

Central banks around the world took the stage during the Third Quarter of 2016 with the U.S. Federal Reserve having prominence. As various Fed Governors gave speeches, each talk was dissected to see if the Federal Reserve would raise rates in September. Ultimately, they did not, but since they did not change their language for another increase in rates this year, the expectation is that they will raise rates in December. Read more. Read More

Watching a television commercial where a familiar personality talks about reverse mortgages may generate both interest and questions about that financial tool. Those television spots highlight the benefits of reverse mortgages as an attractive option for generating cash for senior homeowners and allowing those homeowners to stay in their homes. While receiving cash to supplement income and staying in one’s home are goals most anyone would love to attain, research and due diligence should be performed to determine if a reverse mortgage is an option for those who qualify. Read more. Read More