New Portfolio Crash Test Scenario: 2019 Long Term Government Shutdown
A scenario where there is a long-lasting shutdown, where the President does not declare a state of emergency, and the two sides don’t give in would have the biggest impact on your client’s portfolios. Economic effects of shorter shutdowns are generally minor and made up for once Federal workers (and contractors) receive back-pay. But a...Read More
How can Plan Advisors Grow their 401(k) Practice in 2019?
With a new year, we have new challenges and ways to grow businesses. Changing political trends, regulations, and new technology could make navigating the 401(k) space challenging. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be ways to succeed. Here are a few things we came up with that might just help you get ahead in 2019....Read More
3 Scenarios in the Trump Government Shutdown: How will it Impact Markets?
Trump vs. The Democrats: A Fight for the Ages! Americans love a good fight as evidenced by the popularity of the Kardashians, Real Housewives of Wherever, the Bachelor(ette), the UFC and many other forms of entertainment. The government shutdown pitting Trump vs. the Democrats is not one of those fights, and I don’t think America...Read More
Cryptocurrency: Fiduciary Asset or Verrückt?
Cryptocurrency: Fiduciary Asset or Verrückt[1] My colleague Daniel Satchkov has put forth a couple of compelling pieces (Why Bitcoin Drop Was Good and Why Cryptocurrency Just Might Become a Fiduciary Asset and 2019 Will Be The Year That Crypto Decouples From Equity Markets) on why the rout in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency should be seen as...Read More
To Brexit or Not to Brexit
As anyone following Brexit knows, it is a mess. With the March 29, 2019 deadline for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union fast approaching, there is a real chance that no deal will be struck. British Prime Minister Teresa May is looking for a way to secure the votes needed in the House...Read More
iPhone Loathing in China Or Why 43% Of All Statistics Are Worthless
Statistics is the art of never having to say you’re wrong. A statistician is a person who draws a mathematically precise line from an unwarranted assumption to a foregone conclusion. Statistician Folklore Reliable economic data today is hard to come by nowadays. Which is surprising given the sheer amount of economic information out there...Read More
2019 Will Be The Year That Crypto Decouples From Equity Markets
Everyone has a prediction for 2019. I am with Yogi Berra when he says that ‘making predictions is hard, especially about the future’. However, I will go ahead and make one. Diversification is a cornerstone of a good investment strategy and it will be back in 2019 in a big way. More so, Bitcoin...Read More
15 Weekly Stats for Financial Advisors: Week of January 7, 2019
Matt Meyer and Michael Robinson are founders of The BluePrint Insurance Services. Their mission is to be the premier insurance partner for RIAs and comprehensive financial advisors. The BluePrint provides an operational insurance platform that allows our partners to provide the highest level of insurance access and support. We feature this weekly update with permission:...Read More
5 Articles for the Financial Advisor Weekend Reading List: January 5-6, 2019
Here are five suggested articles for financial advisors to read this weekend: 1. When Skynet Runs Beauty Contests: Watch Out! – When reading the headlines of today’s financial press, which has more and more turned into infotainment, it is easy to forget why we as a society actually invest in the first place. 2. Great...Read More
The Importance of Helping Plan Participants During Market Volatility
It is easy to feel good when the market is always in the positive trend, when a volatility is muted and does not bother investor staying most of the time off investor’s radar. In these times our investment strategy seems to be clear and we feel confident in our investment prowess. However, when volatility becomes...Read More