Insights

Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2024

Stocks encountered some turbulence before the third quarter closed on a high note. Inflation continued to trend lower and company earnings were generally positive, but markets were on edge over the health of the economy, particularly in July as weaker jobs reports and deteriorating consumer and business confidence indicators factored into a 10% downdraft for US stocks. Skepticism about the Artificial Intelligence craze contributed to a welcome change in market leadership, with large tech giving way to smaller company and foreign stocks.

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2024

US stock indexes advanced 3.2% in Q2, again led by large technology names even as most stocks declined. Since their abysmal performance in 2022, a handful of the tech giants have ridden the AI wave and accounted for more than one-half of gains in the major US stock benchmarks.

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2024

The first three months of the new year proved to be an extension of 2023 – large technology stocks leading the way with some sizzle provided by companies tied to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and bouts of interest rate volatility keeping markets on edge.

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Peering into a Tax Sunset

February 2, 2024

It’s a new year! Though not as newsworthy as geopolitics, the presidential election, or the eclipse, the sunset of many favorable tax provisions upon the close of 2025 is a topic worthy of your review now.

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2023

Last year’s markets behaved as usual by defying expectations at every turn. Investors were taught yet again that the economy and markets are inherently unpredictable. It is understandable that investors started the year in a downbeat mood, given the miserable stock and bond returns of 2022. Many doubted that the Federal Reserve could orchestrate a “soft landing” – conquering inflation without beating up the economy. 

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2023

Be careful what you wish for might be an apt description for the third quarter. If you had given us (and probably most investors) the chance to sign up for lower inflation with higher economic growth, we would have gladly done so. However, instead of a broad-based rally, most financial assets declined in the third quarter. The primary headwind was concern about higher for longer, as longer-term interest rates, especially those five years and out, moved dramatically higher.

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2023

Despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool things down, both the economy and stocks have exceeded expectations so far in 2023. Chastened investors were apprehensive after both stocks and bonds registered double-digit declines in 2022, their worst combined performance on record.

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Confronting the Debt Ceiling ... Again

May 11, 2023

The debt limit is the total amount of borrowing authorized by Congress to cover its bills - Social Security and Medicare benefits, salaries, tax refunds, interest, and other payments. Since the US government spends more than it takes in, the US Treasury must borrow by issuing new bonds – it has been unable to do so since it reached the limit in January. Now past the annual surge in tax receipts, the Treasury has been paying its bills by shifting cash between various internal accounts. Unless Congress lifts the ceiling, the government will run out of cash sometime in June.

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2023

The first quarter was a rollercoaster ride – alternately exhilarating and frightening. While both stocks and bonds managed to generate positive results, there were notable performance differences within each asset class. The volatility is not all that surprising – in just twelve months the Federal Reserve raised short-term rates from zero to almost 5%, a blistering pace by historical standards.

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2022

Turbulent from the start, 2022 will be remembered as the year when inflation surged to levels not seen in forty years. Suddenly aware of the need to quell inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve and other central banks changed gears and began jacking up interest rates. Investors were clearly surprised by the policy shift and are still absorbing the implications of the apparent end of the “easy money” regime that had supported asset prices over the previous decade.

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2022

The quarter started with investors thinking the US was near or past peak inflation, and stocks gained 15% from their June lows. Hopes that the Federal Reserve would be able to fight inflation without risking job losses and/or a recession played a role in the rally - no doubt fear of missing out did too. By mid-August stocks had more than halved their year-to-date losses. Those hopes were dashed as Fed leaders reiterated their determination to minimize the threat of persistent inflation. The rally became a rout in September – stocks finished down 4% in Q3 at their lowest level this year.

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2022

Any way you look at it, investment returns so far this year are among the worst on record. Not since 1970 have stocks dropped 20% in the first six months. Foreign stocks haven’t done any better, in part because most currencies have lost significant ground to the US dollar. Bonds have offered little respite - it has been a sell-off for the ages.

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2022

The first quarter of 2022 for investors can be viewed in three parts: Valuations Normalizing (Jan. 1 to Feb. 23), War Breaks Out (Feb. 24 to Mar. 8), and Stocks Rebound (Mar. 9 to Mar. 31).  Below you’ll find a summary of these periods, followed by some thoughts about the remainder of 2022, acknowledging that the range of possible outcomes seems especially wide this year.

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2021

If you somehow knew that a pandemic was about to close borders, disrupt businesses, and transform everyday life, would you have predicted that US stocks would return 50% over the next two years? What if you also knew that support from governments and central banks would far surpass the response to the 2008-09 financial crisis, helping people to be fed and housed and helping businesses save jobs, and that some consumers would invest their newfound wealth in the stock market – often in surprising ways? Who could have predicted that the Consumer Price index would be inflating at an annual rate of more than 6%, with a barely a response from the stock and bond markets?

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Holiday Reflections

December 20, 2021

For many, the year-end holidays are a time to gather and savor the important things in life - family, friends, and feasts. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving was accompanied by an unwelcomed discovery, the Omicron variant, which triggered a rush to the exits in the stock market. Many stocks fell more than 10% as this latest uncertainty inspired some investors to reduce risk.

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BIF & BBB - quick review

November 23, 2021

President Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF) into law last Monday. The legislation adds $550 billion to previously authorized funding for transportation, broadband and utilities over a five-year period. 

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2021

The headlines were as wild as ever this quarter. On the list: political chicken fights over the debt ceiling and infrastructure spending, rising prices and empty shelves while 50% of small businesses had job openings, a significant regulatory crackdown in China, and the Delta variant sweeping through the US – all impactful now and potentially far into the future.

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2021

With the stock market rally some fifteen months past the Covid collapse, we assess where things stand and contemplate what lies ahead. Stocks and bonds appear to be in the midst of a growth scare, which shaped the past quarter’s returns.

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2021

We entered the year with optimism. We believed a combination of government stimulus and an effective vaccine rollout would support an already strengthening economy and would engender increasing confidence in still-wary investors. Many seemed to be on the fence, awaiting the outcome of the Georgia Senate races and wondering how they would impact the balance of power in Washington. While politics has never been more interesting, we try hard not to let hyperbole about current events affect our decision-making. We dared to believe our portfolio holdings would be front and center when others got the urge to go shopping.

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GameStop is up 2,000% - Tulips in 2021!

January 29, 2021

GameStop does not have a vaccine for Covid, nor has it created software that magically makes our lives better in some way. It is a chain of 5,000+ stores that sell new and used video games. The company is a year older than Blockbuster, and almost as useless in today’s world where it is easier to purchase games over the internet.

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2020

2020 will be remembered for the pain and suffering inflicted by the Coronavirus. The misery continues as we hope and expect that 2021 will be recalled as a year of recovery that will unfold in the months to come.

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2020

As the fourth quarter unfolds, the market seems to be walking a tight rope – stocks are holding up well, yet it seems that so much could go wrong. The apparent hazards cannot be ignored but ultimately investors must raise their eyes to the horizon and take one step at a time. Potential positive outcomes get less attention as they don’t make for good headlines. It is natural to worry most about the things we can’t control. In the current environment, we are alleviating stress by deepening our understanding of the risks, by focusing on how specific sectors and companies are navigating myriad challenges and by imagining alternative scenarios that might unfold.  

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Elections and Markets - 2020

August 26, 2020

The US elections have been a sideshow to the critical issues facing America this year. With the Democratic National Convention just wrapping up and the Republicans convening this week, that is changing, and investors are naturally wondering how the outcome of November’s elections might impact the investment landscape. Perhaps more interesting are pre-election dynamics: Do markets tend to predict election results?  

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2020

Stocks and bonds staged a remarkable recovery in the second quarter, leaving many observers questioning whether markets have lost touch with reality. New Covid cases are surging in some parts of the US that were relatively unaffected during the first phase of the pandemic, pausing and in some cases reversing plans to reopen certain sectors of local economies. The continuing uncertainty creates unusual tensions as we go about our daily lives and plan for our futures. To say the least, the disconnect between the virus headlines and the stock market rebound is complicated.

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What just happened?

June 17, 2020

The S&P 500 now stands close to where it began the year – when China had yet to notify the World Health Organization of an outbreak of a pneumonia-like illness and before sheltering at home would freeze the global economy and send financial markets into a tailspin. Life is only beginning to return to normal and the economy is a mess. What, then, has propelled the market’s rapid recovery?

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2020

Normal sure seems like a long time ago. As we try to make the best of these difficult circumstances, we are all wondering when life might return to some semblance of normal and when and where the market will find its footing.

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Risk Is What You Didn’t See Coming

March 11, 2020

In just a few weeks, markets have shifted from confident to panicked. These are stressful times for all of us. Our everyday lives are about to be disrupted. Health experts are still learning about the virus. This is a moment of maximum uncertainty.

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Regarding the Covid-19 Coronavirus

February 28, 2020

As the outbreak has turned into a global threat, countries are imposing travel bans, canceling public events and quarantining millions of people to slow the spread of the virus. Experts are describing a pandemic - a new disease that spreads around the world. "When several countries have widespread transmission, then spillover to other countries is inevitable," said Anthony Fauci, head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "One cannot shut out the rest of the world."

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SECURE at Last

January 31, 2020

In the May 2019 blog Fixing the Retirement Income Crisis - Winners and Losers, we profiled the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, better known now as the SECURE Act. Though its swift passage appeared to be a sure thing, Congress went on to other matters – until the SECURE Act was added to the spending bill passed into law on December 20th. Below we highlight several changes that will impact retirement savers and their heirs. It is far from a comprehensive review of the legislation, which also includes provisions to make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans to their employees and to allow distributions from 529 plans to help pay down student loans.

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Negative Interest Rates, Part Two

January 23, 2020

Why would anyone buy a bond with negative interest?
The short answer is that they have no choice. Since the financial crisis, regulators have required that banks hold significantly more government debt than in the past. Other institutions may have choices, it’s just that they aren’t any better. Imagine a European insurance company with billions to invest, much of which needs to be in ultra-safe vehicles. In lieu of buying government bonds at today’s negative interest rates, that company would have to pay a fee for the privilege of depositing it at a bank. Stashing billions of cash in a bank vault (or under the metaphorical mattress) is clearly not practical (nor free). Moving beyond the private sector, central banks have been the largest buyers of government and corporate debt over the past six years, employing a monetary policy tool intended to create liquidity and grease the wheels of the economy. And these institutions are certainly not worried about the interest rate they are receiving (in many cases, paying)!

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2019

One year ago, the Fed was intent on raising rates, world leaders were talking tough on trade, and stocks had just recorded their worst December performance since 1931. The suddenness of the decline was shocking and many worried that a recession was imminent.

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Negative Interest Rates, Part One

December 23, 2019

Imagine for a minute that you are saving to buy a car. Checking your bank statement, you see that the current balance is less than what you’ve deposited. This is the realm of negative interest rates ­— where cash balances can shrink rather than grow.

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2019

Even a glorious summer such as the one just ended includes a few squalls. The stock market had a good summer, too – turbulence in August gave way to a September rally and stocks ended the quarter little changed. Away from the markets, turmoil was increasingly apparent in the streets and in the halls of government, here and abroad. As disconcerting as the headlines may be, the underlying worry for investors is the decelerating global economy. This concern was on full display in the bond market during the third quarter, but was less evident in the case of stocks.

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Yes, you need a will!

September 19, 2019

We know that almost all Americans and their families will benefit from some basic estate planning, yet we read that half of us haven’t done any. And among those who do draw up a will and other key documents, many fail to revisit this work for years, if ever. Without an up-to-date plan in place, winding up your affairs may not turn out the way you wanted and may have a lasting and costly impact on your loved ones.

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Reality Check for FANG & Friends

September 3, 2019

The math is clear — the S&P 500 has outperformed everything else over the past decade, and it’s largely due to the performance of just six stocks. Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google were anointed the FANG stocks on CNBC’s show Mad Money back in 2013. As tech heavyweights Apple and Microsoft gained momentum, the name was elongated to FAANGM. That’s hard to pronounce, so we’ll refer to the group as “FANG & Friends.”

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2019

With summer in full swing and so much going on in the world, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that US equities just had their best first six months since 1997. May was the only negative month - escalating US-China trade tensions contributed to a 6% retreat – and that was quickly erased in June as supportive central bank comments fueled a rush to invest in assets of all sorts. US treasuries, high grade bonds, junk bonds, oil, gold and just about everything else generated positive returns along with stocks, an unusual display of correlation among major asset classes.

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Fixing the Retirement Income Crisis - Winners and Losers

May 29, 2019

It’s no secret that many Americans are struggling to save for retirement. A recent survey conducted by the Federal Reserve found that one-quarter of working respondents had no retirement savings or pension at all. Among those who have some type of self-directed account, like an IRA or 401(k), sixty percent indicated a low level of comfort making investing decisions with their savings.(1)

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2019

What a turnaround! December’s plunge left stock market investors uncertain and cautious at the start of the new year. A responsive Federal Reserve and some positive economic data brightened the mood and the first quarter saw stocks recover much of 2018’s losses.

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Higher Taxes Ahead?

March 5, 2019

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 reduced personal income tax rates to the lowest they’ve been for decades. As the 2020 presidential race gets underway, Democratic candidates appear universally committed to undoing the recent changes (that is, before their scheduled expiration in 2025). Some proposals go much further and would impose significantly higher taxes on income, estates and wealth.

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2018

Wintery weather arrived before Thanksgiving in Vermont this past year. Frosty windshields and spinning ski lifts were out of synch with our usual routine. So it was for the stock market as December, on average the most rewarding of all the months1, delivered a most unexpected and unwelcome result. The 9% decline pushed the quarter to a 15% fall. It was the weakest December result since 1931, and one of the worst year-end performances on record.

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Taking the Midterm

November 6, 2018

Americans head to the polls tomorrow.  FiveThirtyEight, the opinion polling aggregation website, predicts an 87% probability that the Democrats take the House and an 83% chance that Republicans hold the Senate.

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2018

US stocks registered their best quarterly result in almost five years. After recovering from February’s jarring setback, share prices continued to march upward, undeterred by higher interest rates and the escalating trade battle with China. Foreign stocks have been left behind – only a few overseas indexes are in the black so far this year.

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Cryptos and blockchain and bubbles, oh my!

September 4, 2018

US stocks registered their best quarterly result in almost five years. After recovering from February’s jarring setback, share prices continued to march upward, undeterred by higher interest rates and the escalating trade battle with China. Foreign stocks have been left behind – only a few overseas indexes are in the black so far this year.

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2018

Technology stocks carried the US market to a positive return in what otherwise was a tough quarter. The US economy is buoyant – consumer spending is robust, unemployment has fallen to 4% and corporate earnings have handily beat expectations. The economic backdrop elsewhere is less encouraging – the synchronous global growth story is unravelling. Political turmoil has resurfaced in Europe, most visibly in Italy. Escalating trade tensions also impacted the quarter’s returns. The degree to which today's trade threats materialize into a full-blown trade war will be an important factor in shaping returns in the current quarter and beyond.

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2018

Investors greeted the New Year with notable enthusiasm. Almost a decade removed from crisis, worries about the strength and stability of the economy and the financial system had faded. 2017 demonstrated that stocks could march higher in the face of heightened political uncertainty, and the new tax regime appeared to “guarantee” that a recession was not coming any time soon. Indeed, the newest fear seemed to be a fear of missing out on stock market gains to come.

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2017

2017 was a year that started with high hopes, big concerns, and many questions. Might the incoming president’s agenda of lighter regulation, a push for infrastructure investment and tax reform boost the economy and markets? Could protectionist trade rhetoric escalate into measures that would depress business prospects at home and abroad? Consideration of an uncertain future starts with having a grasp on where things stand today.

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2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

December 21, 2017

Congress has approved the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Although this measure has been taking shape for several years, the ongoing political circus and rush to get this bill done have distracted both citizens and leaders from fully understanding this important legislation.

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Why own bank stocks now?

November 11, 2017

A decade removed from crisis, bank stocks are only now regaining the confidence of investors. A series of satisfactory regulatory stress tests are evidence that most necessary repairs have been made, and many banks are now rewarding shareholders with increased dividends and buybacks.

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Quarterly Commentary

3Q 2017

Our summer in Vermont was pleasant enough, though it started wet and ended hot. There was little wind throughout (noticed by the sailors in the office). Markets were much the same – we can’t recall so many days with so little movement. But the result was agreeable.

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2017

US equities reached new highs during the second quarter. At eight years and counting, this bull market is the second longest on record. Indeed, over the past twelve months, an aura of inevitability seems to have enveloped the US stock market as dips have been met with renewed buying. The volatility index (VIX), a measure of investor expectations that stocks might move quickly up or down, has been hovering at the lowest levels witnessed over the past twenty years. Stock markets around the globe have remained firm as well, even as they contend with heightened political uncertainty and disturbing geopolitical events.

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Quarterly Commentary

1Q 2017

With tongue firmly in cheek, we propose that our President’s greatest achievement so far is to lend his name to the stock market’s post-election advance. Trump Bump or Trump Rally – US stocks gained more than 11% from the election through the beginning of March – remarkably without a single daily decline of 1% or more, further evidence that political uncertainty does not necessarily trigger market turmoil.

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Steering Through Uncertainty

March 1, 2017

Media coverage has been focused entirely on our new president. Like it or not, we’re probably in for more of the same “Trump 24-7.” All the while, the stock market has been notching all-time highs. The post-election returns are impressive, but many find the current situation tenuous.Here is our perspective on questions we are receiving:

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Quarterly Commentary

4Q 2016

How will we remember 2016? The rise of populist politics as exemplified by Brexit and Trump? The long-awaited turn to higher interest rates? Or, perhaps just as a year that confounded expectations in so many ways?

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The Trump Rally

December 16, 2016

Clinton wasn’t the only loser in November. Conventional wisdom also took a beating, as the market plunge expected in the wake of a Trump victory failed to materialize. Instead we have had a sharp advance that persists a month later. What happened? What do we make of this rally?

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Looking Past Election Day

November 8, 2016

The current election has revealed deep division and mistrust in our country, but it is not the first polarizing presidential contest. The election of 1800, pitting incumbent John Adams against Thomas Jefferson, was an emotional and hard-fought campaign. Each side believed that victory by the other would ruin the nation.

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Quarterly Commentary

Q3 2016

The world seems to be at odds with itself. US stocks are near all-time highs, yet economic growth is soft and US corporate profits have stagnated. The Fed is poised to raise interest rates while central banks elsewhere take measures to support their economies. Investors see little upside in bonds, but their pursuit of quality dividend-paying stocks has led to stretched valuations for many popular stocks and funds. Then there are the elections – where for many, the preferred choice seems to be “none of the above.”

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Dividend Stocks – Getting Pricey?

September 21, 2016

The world seems to be at odds with itself. US stocks are near all-time highs, yet economic growth is soft and US corporate profits have stagnated. The Fed is poised to raise interest rates while central banks elsewhere take measures to support their economies. Investors see little upside in bonds, but their pursuit of quality dividend-paying stocks has led to stretched valuations for many popular stocks and funds. Then there are the elections – where for many, the preferred choice seems to be “none of the above.”

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Quarterly Commentary

2Q 2016

Resilient in the face of uncertainty would be an apt description for financial markets in 2016. We entered the second quarter marveling at how quickly US stocks had rebounded from the alarming January/February plunge… and hoping for more upside. Concerns about US and global economic growth were receding. Chinese authorities had asserted control over the value of their currency. Oil prices were recovering.

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Infrastructure Spending – In the Works?

June 3, 2016

Switzerland is celebrating the opening of the world’s biggest rail tunnel, a project through which 65 passenger trains and 260 freight trains will pass each day, cutting travel times (and air pollution) as people and goods move between the north and south of Europe. Back at home, our infrastructure is crumbling. Or is it? The answer depends on what you mean by infrastructure. Internet download speeds and cell phone coverage have improved significantly, supported by an estimated 113,000 miles of long-haul fire-optic cable and 300,000 cell phone towers in the US. We’re focused on more traditional infrastructure such as airports, waterways, rail, roads, and tunnels – like the Hudson River rail tunnel project infamously shelved in 2010.

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How Does One Guide a Retirement Plan Through a Down Market?

March 24, 2016

The bears among us are now emerging from hibernation to discover the S&P 500 has turned green just as spring arrives. Should the rest of the year progress at the same rate, the result would be a modest 4% full-year return. That would be a disappointment in most years, but 2016 has not started like most, as those not napping through the winter can attest.

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What is Happening to Oil and the Markets?

February 19, 2016

The stock market has descended into correction territory as 2016 has unfolded. What role are lower oil prices playing? If it’s not all about oil, then what else is behind the market’s stress?

Here is our take on oil and the markets, and how we are reacting to the sell-off. Whatever the causes, we agree that times like these feel awful. The best defensive strategy is to make sure that your portfolio is invested in a manner consistent with your needs and goals.

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Solar, Anyone?

December 23, 2015

Winter solstice is upon us and sunlight is scarce in Vermont. Even so, the recent Paris climate change accord and the even more recent extension of US renewable energy tax credits have us thinking about solar, for both rooftops and stock portfolios.

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Social Security: What’s New?

November 30, 2015

Congress slipped a bit of Social Security reform into the recent budget deal. Plans to curtail a pair of Social Security claiming strategies didn’t make headlines, perhaps because neither is widely understood nor used. If you are contemplating your own approach, are married, and will reach 62 by the end of this year, then you should learn more about what is being phased out (see Goodbye to Extra Benefits for Married Couples).

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The VW Emissions Scandal: A Failure of ESG Investing?

October 30, 2015

Congress slipped a bit of Social Security reform into the recent budget deal. Plans to curtail a pair of Social Security claiming strategies didn’t make headlines, perhaps because neither is widely understood nor used. If you are contemplating your own approach, are married, and will reach 62 by the end of this year, then you should learn more about what is being phased out (see Goodbye to Extra Benefits for Married Couples).

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529 Plans – What’s to Know Beyond the Basics?

September 9, 2015

Staying focused on long-term financial goals is key to investing success, especially when we are weathering periods of market volatility like the present. If you are in a position to help your children or grandchildren pay for college or graduate school, or if you can anticipate a future day when a family member will benefit from your foresight, it is always a good time to consider a 529.

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Market Selloff – Keep Calm and Carry On?

August 25, 2015

Global financial markets are under pressure. As we write this, US stock indices have retreated approximately 11% from highs reached this spring and summer. Foreign benchmarks are down more, led by China.

While no two situations are the same, history provides critical perspective. Long periods of rising share prices are regularly interrupted by corrections such as the one currently unfolding. In fact, it had been four years since we had seen a 10% or larger decline. The onset of corrections can be stressful. Trying to anticipate these events is a losing proposition, but being prepared for them is a necessity.

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Cyber Crime – What Precautions Protect my Savings?

June 18, 2015

It happened more or less like this. The email arrived at Rock Point Advisors’ office very late on a Friday afternoon from Abby*, a longstanding client, or so it appeared. It was a continuation of a prior email chain — we instantly recognized our exchange about Abby’s IRA from a few weeks earlier. “Abby” seemed like her usual self, offering the team warm greetings, before requesting a wire transfer from her account to a “luxury car dealer” a dozen states away.

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Higher Interest Rates – a Big Deal?

June 12, 2015

Economists agree that the Federal Reserve is likely to “raise interest rates” sometime later this year. Rate hikes are neither categorically good nor bad – what they mean can be complicated. Rates were last raised long enough ago (2006) that many of us have forgotten how it looks and what it means. Here is a quick primer on the topic, an outline of how we think about it while managing portfolios, and a few ideas you can consider to prepare your personal finances.

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Could Retirement Planning Really be This Simple?

May 14, 2015

Hardly a week goes by that we don’t encounter another article examining the 4% rule, a guideline for sustainable spending during retirement. Joining the parade, last Saturday’s New York Times ran an article titled “New Math for Retirees and the 4% Rule.” A sidebar warned that a 2.85% withdrawal rate might actually be a “safer bet” for those entering retirement today.

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Securities Class Action Lawsuits – What’s Required of me?

March 11, 2015

As an investor, you are likely at some point to discover a fattish envelope in your mailbox announcing a class action lawsuit against a company. “What am I supposed to do with this?” you may ask. The quick answer is that Rock Point Advisors has its clients covered.

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$33 to Fill ‘er up – We Should be Happy, Right?

February 4, 2015

Gas prices in our part of Vermont remain stubbornly above the national average, but we figure that we’re still on track to spend $1,000 less on gasoline per car than we did last year. That’ll buy us each something on the order of 175 pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, 10 days of skiing at Stowe or 2,000 K-cups to brew in our Keurig machines – darn nice whatever your preference!

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