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The Monday Mix: June 18 – 24, 2018

By Nathan Barnard |

Jun 25, 2018 |

Monday Morning Mix

Headlines discussed at LNWM’s Monday morning briefing:

— The US threatened 20% tariffs on all cars imported from the European Union.
— The US threatened 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China.
— OPEC members agreed to increase oil production, as crude oil prices rose the most since 2016.
— Emerging market stocks rebounded from 9-month lows; fears of trade war, higher US interest rates.
— The largest US banks passed the Federal Reserve’s toughest annual tests gauging level of financial risk.

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Are Index Funds the Best Way to Invest in All Markets at All Times? We Think Not

By Josh Hile |

Jun 22, 2018 |

Investment Management

Many people, even those with sizeable wealth, do their investing solely through index funds or ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds). There are some real benefits to doing that — returns that track the market averages, lower fund costs, and lower taxes along the way. So what’s the problem?

In a white paper I am working on now, I fully explore the pros and cons of using index funds, which fall under the category of passive investing vehicles. And I also delve into the pros and cons of actively managed funds, in which managers buy whatever they think has the highest return potential in their area of expertise. At LNWM, we do not think it is wise to use only index funds or only actively managed funds. That is what we call a false choice. We firmly believe that using both types of funds in a portfolio — selectively and judiciously — can provide better results over a full market cycle. … Read More

The Monday Mix: June 11 – 17, 2018

By Josh Hile |

Jun 18, 2018 |

Monday Morning Mix

Headlines discussed atLNWM’s Monday morning briefing:

— The US will impose new tariffs on Chinese goods, following new US tariffs on EU, Mexico and Canada.
— China said it will retaliate against US tariffs, escalating fears of trade war and slower global growth.
— North Korea did not agree to specific steps towards nuclear disarmament at summit with US.
— The European Central Bank said it will end its $3 triillion stimulus program by the start of 2019.
— Oil prices fell on concern that OPEC will increase its ouput, spurred by Russia.

Financial Planning Is About Choices: You Have More than You Think

By Nadia Reynolds |

Jun 12, 2018 |

Family and Finance, Financial and Business Planning

Financial planning doesn’t have to start at middle age, although it often does. At any age, if you make well-informed, life-aligned decisions about your finances, you open up possibilities. This is what we call “50-year planning,” in that it requires you to envision your life many years from now and work backwards from that. Of course your goals and situation will change. Such is life. Realize that having a plan in place allows you to make better decisions when things do change. This is true for older people with lots of money and assets, as well as younger people just starting out.