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23 Jan 2015 How to Win the Investment Game

Posted at 14:46h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

Today's post marks a milestone for the Friday Brief as the 600th issue of a weekly series that dates back to June 29, 2001. Thank you so much for your loyal readership. In appreciation, I'd like to share some pearls of investment and planning wisdom picked...

16 Jan 2015 Uncertainty Is Not The Same Thing As Risk

Posted at 08:35h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

At Beacon, we are big fans of Seth Godin, a marketing genius and prolific author and blogger. While Seth usually speaks the lingo of creative and marketing folks, his message resonates remarkably well with the rest of us. Take for instance the following recent post entitled...

09 Jan 2015 Why do falling oil prices rattle investors?

Posted at 11:27h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

So why in the world did stock prices fall faster and further on Monday than they have in months on what most would call good news that oil prices were now below $50 per barrel? It is an interesting question, and the answers become more interesting the deeper we drill (sorry).

02 Jan 2015 How Much of Your Portfolio is in the Stock Market?

Posted at 14:11h in The Friday Brief by Geoff Hall, CFP®

2014 marked another good year for the stock market. With a 13.7% gain including dividends, the S&P 500 finished in positive territory for the sixth year in a row. The market never goes up in a straight line and 2014 was no different. Several major geopolitical events including Ebola, ISIS, plummeting oil prices and the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused volatility during the year. In fact, the S&P 500 fell 7.2% from its September 18 peak before bouncing back in late October and November. Here's a chart of the S&P 500's 2014.