Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing with us.

Investment Markets

Investment markets started the year much the same way they ended 2023. US Large-Cap Stocks led the way again with a 10.6% return in the quarter. Eeveloped market international stocks and US Small-Cap stocks were not far behind at 5.8% and 5.2%, respectively. Those three asset classes posted the strongest returns in 2023 as well. Growth stocks continued to outperform Value stocks, though the margin narrowed from last year. Volatility remained quite low in the markets, with the Volatility Index (VIX) at the lowest level since 2017. The S&P 500 made 22 all-time highs in the first quarter after not making any new all-time highs in 2023.

When markets start hitting all-time highs, many investors worry that they should get o...

Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing with us.

Last January, in our 2022 market commentary, we talked about how the world will never stop surprising us. Yet, despite the surprising nature of the world, our desire to try to predict the future never stops. Every conversation we have about the markets includes a question about what we think will happen next. Usually, that question begins with “I know you can’t predict these things,” but we still can’t stop ourselves from asking for a prediction anyway!

This doesn’t just happen in the markets. In sports, people spend hours trying to predict who will win the next big game or the next championship. Every election year, there is endless commentary and polls trying to predict who will be elected...

Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing with us.

Life Lessons from Jimmy Buffett

Our family was deeply saddened by the news of Jimmy Buffett’s passing on September 1st.  Jimmy’s life and music had a tremendous impact on many. This is evidenced by the outpouring of messages and support from celebrities and fans worldwide. Lyle and his family have been self-professed “parrotheads” for over 40 years.  In this article, Lyle shares a few of his favorite song lyrics and some of the many life lessons that Jimmy shared through his music.

Memento Mori

Jimmy’s death was another reminder that nobody is immortal and one day we will all die. It is summarized in the ancient Latin phrase “Memento Mori...

Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing this blog about the 2023 Q2 Market.

The second quarter of 2023 continued the strong stock market performance that began in the fourth quarter of 2022. After a 20% decline from January-September of 2022, the S&P 500 has now posted positive quarterly returns of 7.6%, 7.5%, and 8.7% over the past three quarters. The tech-heavy NASDAQ 100 index bounced back from a 32% decline in 2022 to post the strongest first half on record, with a 39% return in the first six months of 2023.

Small-cap US stocks and developed market international stocks lagged US large-caps but still posted returns of 5% and 3%, respectively. Real Estate and Emerging Market stocks were up about 1% in the quarter...