Markets Continue to Set Records in the Second Quarter of 2019 Stock markets in the U.S. and mostly around the globe turned in a good second quarter, which when combined with a good first quarter, created fantastic YTD returns for investors. In fact, the returns were historic, especially for the last month of the second quarter. Consider this: The 30-stock DJIA and broad-based S&P 500 posted their best June in 81 and 64 years, respectively The DJIA delivered its best
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Whether you’re a millennial, baby boomer, Gen X or Gen Z, you face financial questions besides just getting through to next payday. Here’s a simple two-step checklist to help you start planning with your money. Plan Critical for long-term success, your financial plan doesn’t need to be complicated. It DOES need to provide a starting point and create a baseline for measuring your goals. Sure, you can get complicated and incorporate programs and apps into your initial planning so that
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We all have different goals in our lives. It can be as simple as “financial independence,” or more specific goals, like traveling as much as possible or starting your own business. For those who have children, a major goal is often helping them with the growing cost of education. In fact, the CollegeBoard’s Trends in College Pricing 2016 gives us some data on that growing cost. Between 2006-07 and 2016-17, published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions increased at an
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Q: Why do I need a will? A: A will is a formal legal document directing the settlement of your estate. It provides for the distribution of your assets according to your wishes. Without a will, the laws of your state will determine estate distribution. You should always seek qualified legal assistance and proper witnessing. Only through a will can you designate your own executor, guardians for minor children, and other fiduciaries. Q: What is the first step my spouse and
Read MoreStocks Turn in Best Quarter in 10 Years Global markets ended the first quarter of 2019 with very positive returns and domestically, the DJIA, S&P 500, Russell 2000, and NASDAQ all rewarded investors with double digit gains. The S&P 500 recorded its strongest quarterly performance in a decade, rising over 13% and leaving the index 3% off its all-time high. NASDAQ did not perform as well as the DJIA or S&P 500 on the final week of the quarter, but
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The turmoil witnessed by investors in Boeing in mid-March 2019 sadly demonstrated the benefits of diversification. Boeing’s stock price dropped over 10% in two days and then sharply again after President Trump ordered the grounding of all 737 Max planes in the U.S. On the Friday before a Boeing 737 Max 8 passenger jet destined for Nairobi crashed and killed all 157 people on board, Boeing’s stock traded at $422. Three days later, it traded around $366. So, how do
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Older generations are always quick to suggest that younger generations are lazier. They are more spoiled and have an easier time at just about everything. Some Baby Boomers proclaim that Generation X, or Millennials (Gen Y) or Generation Z have an easier time getting a job, saving for retirement, buying a house, and are surrounded by luxuries unthinkable “back in the day.” But there does seem to be more cynicism aimed at Millennials. Let’s explore. Gen Y Gets a Bad
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For many of us, debt is a huge part of our lives. In fact, the table below shows typical debt balances, as well as total debt balances owed by consumers, according to NerdWallet’s 2017 American Household Credit Card Debt Study. Type Of Debt Average Household Total U.S. Consumers Credit Cards $15,654 $905 Billion Mortgages $173,995 $8.74 Trillion Auto Loans $27,669 $1.21 Trillion Student Loans $46,597 $1.36 Trillion Any Type Of Debt $131,431 $12.96 Trillion As you can see, our lives are
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Life insurance is one of the most oversold and exaggerated pieces of your financial life. It is important to know when you actually need it, how much you need, and what type to use. Otherwise, you could end up like many, over-insured and spending more in premiums. What is the purpose of life insurance? The primary purpose is to provide financial assistance to someone else in the event you pass away. Ultimately, you only NEED it when you have people
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It doesn’t seem possible that so many years have passed since we started Patriot Investment Management! It has truly been a wonderful journey. When we began, our guiding philosophy was to always do the right thing for our clients. That principle has served us well and we now manage client assets totaling over $937 million. First, I want to thank each and every one of our clients. You have entrusted your hard-earned assets to us, and we take the job
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