With the recent Silicon Valley Bank failure dominating headlines over the past couple weeks we would like to share our views on what happened, the potential for contagion risk (which we view as unlikely) and some additional implications for financial markets.
Many changes have arisen out of the recent passage of the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2022” (or more commonly referred to as the “SECURE 2.0” bill). Some changes will take place as soon as this tax year, while others will be phased in over a several year period.
Embrace the Fog—2023, A chance for upside surprise? Every calendar year, as one year ends and another begins, we receive a deluge of financial forecasts and predictions for the new year. When looking back on these predictions 12 months later, they tend to be wildly off base and, in the vast majority of times, flat out wrong.
With 2022 now behind us, not only do we have the opportunity to plan ahead, but also to take a moment to reflect on the year that passed. In the financial markets, as within our personal lives, we must take the good with the bad, adapt to new and changing circumstances, and learn from our mistakes.
As many of us know, sometimes it is difficult to bridge theory and practice. In theory, just about everything is relatively easy. In practice, though, we find that things that appear to be quite simple, like eating a healthy diet, exercising consistently, saving money and making time for loved ones can prove to be quite difficult.
Every day, more and more young people are entering the investment markets for the first time. A quiet wave of investors is growing in force, and it appears that their priorities are different than those that preceded them.
We recently hosted a webinar where Bob Len and his guest Dr. Vinay Bhargava discussed how Vinay navigated his philanthropic journey, including perspectives on matching one's passion and value with an organization and the joy of making a real difference. You can watch the recording here in case you missed it!
I think many would agree that 2022 has been a rollercoaster. With the war in Ukraine, devastating natural disasters, persisting inflation, and volatility in the financial markets, the headlines we see every day are often difficult to absorb.
While the traditional 60% stocks and 40% bonds portfolio (60/40) has historically been used as the primary example of a core diversified portfolio delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns, it has struggled year-to-date. The illustration below from BlackRock plots various annual stock and bond returns showing only four times when both stocks and bonds were down simultaneously, including this year.
Where is the real estate market heading? We at WGCA recently hosted a webinar with members of the Erich Cabe team at Compass, addressing essential questions that buyers, sellers, and real estate investors are asking about the current and future state of the housing market. You can watch the recording here in case you missed!