The Ups and Downs of 2018
By Jay Sanford, Director, Investment Strategy We felt it would be a good time to check in now that the elections are over and the holidays are in sight. As stated at the beginning of the year, we thought we could see positive single digit returns in the markets, with an increase in volatility. We Read more ➝
Thoughts on the Market Sell-Off
The volatility that is often associated with the month of October has arrived with the market sell-off this week. Experiencing market declines and increased volatility can be unnerving for any investor, but if we can take a step back and see the big picture, that the market and economic environment remain positive, it can be Read more ➝
Alert Bells Are Ringing
By Jay Sanford, Director, Investment Strategy History shows you can follow certain indicators to get a decent gauge of where we are in the market cycle. If you saw our Mid-Year Outlook, you know we are looking at various indicators which include the yield curve (my personal favorite), peak manufacturing and peak earnings to name Read more ➝
Why Your Portfolio Belongs in the World Cup
By Jay Sanford, Director, Investment Strategy If you follow WFG on Twitter (@washfinancial), you know that some of us in the office are big soccer fans. The TV’s in the office MIGHT have been turned from CNBC to the World Cup over the last few weeks. Watching All-Star teams play for their country (imagine every Read more ➝
To Invest or Not to Invest
By Jay Sanford, Director, Investment Strategy We at WFG are not in the business of buying and selling (trading) highly volatile “currencies.” Yet, we come across it almost every day. It is the investment du jour at the moment. That isn’t to say it isn’t legitimate, but we see this type of investment come and Read more ➝
Keeping an Eye on Global Activity
The summer months are almost underway, which means that both vacations and midyear check-ins are ahead. As we approach the midpoint of 2018, many of us will take this opportunity to reflect on what we’ve seen so far and what may be ahead for the rest of the year. But we’re not quite there yet! Read more ➝
Our Eye is on the Horizon, Part 2
By Jay Sanford, Director, Investment Strategy The last time we met, we discussed the inevitability of the stock market going down and what we look at when it comes to taking the temperature of the market. (Remember, that is our little secret!) The second question to that blog post was, “What should I do about Read more ➝
Our Eye is on the Horizon, Part 1
By Jay Sanford, Director, Investment Strategy I’m going to start with the bad news and it’s a secret, so please keep this close to the vest… the stock market will eventually go down! I know, I know, it’s hard to believe. We have had 9 years of growth (albeit slow at times) and the fundamentals Read more ➝
Volatility During Healthy Markets
After more than 18 months of nearly uninterrupted advances, the U.S. equity markets started declining last week, with a large sell-off on February 5, 2018. Although it is always difficult to endure these declines when they’re occurring, it’s important to focus on the underlying fundamentals of the economy and the markets, which are pointing to Read more ➝