Stock Market and Investing Superstition The opening lyrics to the Stevie Wonder song “Superstition” from 1973 are: Very superstitious, writing’s on the wall Very superstitious, ladders bout’ to fall Thirteen-month-old baby, broke the lookin’ glass Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past When you believe in things that you don’t understand […]
Time is Relative – Market Update, 1st Quarter 2019
Market UpdateMost of those reading this update are of a generation that was born and raised well before the Internet. We can remember buying something from a catalog or cereal box and having to wait six weeks for our special purchase to arrive. Let’s imagine that you mailed your order, marked the wall calendar for six […]
Year in Review and Looking Forward
Market UpdateIn our January write-up, we typically begin by reviewing the previous year. Last year proved to be one of the most difficult years in a while. At Bill Few Associates, we preach diversification. Our belief is that when you hold a diversified portfolio, at least some portion of your portfolio is working at all times. […]
Financial Market Commentary – 3rd Quarter of 2018
Market UpdateIt’s All a Matter of Perspective! As US equities enter into the longest bull market for stocks in modern history, the question I have been asked most frequently is, what happens next? Is a stock market crash imminent, or is this bull market different and capable of running even longer? If my crystal ball […]
2017 in Review and 2018 Forward
Financial Market UpdateWorry, Worry, Worry and nothing to show for it! Last year will go down as a year where I worried the most about the financial markets and in hindsight, will have to wonder why I bothered. From January to December, almost every day was better than the day before. Worrying about a modest pullback seemed […]
2017 3rd Quarter Update – Good News, Bad News, Lots of Bad News
In the NewsI spent the better part of the past weekend deciding what to write for this update. Originally, it was going to focus on how the markets have been ignoring bad news and delivering good results for the year. I was also going to make this update as brief as possible. I know there are many […]
The Beat Goes On – 2017 Mid-Year Financial Markets Review
Financial Market Update“The beat goes on, the beat goes on. Drums keep pounding rhythm to the brain. La de da de de, la de da de da.” Those lyrics were written by Sonny Bono and sung by Sonny and Cher in 1967. I was only five years old then; my young parents were only 26. This record […]
Like Watching a NASCAR Race? — 3rd Quarter Financial Market Update
Financial Market Update, In the NewsNASCAR is America’s biggest spectator sport in terms of attendance. For those unfamiliar with the sport, it is a form of auto racing. Its roots come from the rural south where moonshiners needed fast cars and fast drivers to transport their illegal cargo; maybe even to outrun the law on occasion. Today’s NASCAR is now […]
Xanax in the Financial Markets?
In the NewsXanax is a prescription drug that helps with anxiety and depression. It can help calm someone who is anxious or worried. I suspect the US financial markets have been taking big doses of this drug since the Brexit vote in England back in June. Per a news story in Barron’s, the S&P 500 has gone […]
Election Update—Keep Calm and Carry On
In the NewsNever in my thirty years as an investment manager have I sensed as much anguish over a presidential election as this year. I have heard from many of you very strong opinions of dire economic results, regardless of who wins. My hope with writing this update is to calm some of those fears and give […]