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Finding the truth should be easy. The truth has only one version. Ironically, if the truth were the only option, we probably wouldn’t need courts. Reality is there is the truth often “becomes” the most believable story or the story we want to hear. The term “fake news” is used by politicians (both sides) to explain the difference between their version of the truth and the other’s version of the truth. This phenomenon isn’t new. The change is the titling of an opinion as fake news and perhaps the amount of opinion readily available.

We often take for granted the factors in our life that are going “right.” We set them on cruise control and focus on areas that aren’t quite as “smooth.” If we are lucky, everything is going as expected, and we sit back and relax. But, things change. What was in the back of our minds jumps to the forefront and needs our attention.

Does Protectionism Work? Protectionism is a policy of restricting imports from outside countries via various methods. The current tool of choice is tariffs. The theory is the additional cost incurred by foreign producers will limit foreign competition because the additional tax (tariff) raises the cost of foreign goods for domestic consumers. Given the additional cost, consumers will purchase domestic goods. This, in turn, creates demand for domestic goods which creates additional domestic jobs. There is a lot of talk about tariffs given current political discussions. Today, we review:

Those are not the first words you expect to hear when you reach the office, but that was how my day began. Before I get in trouble…I am not referring to the REAL Santa Claus. The REAL Santa Claus is alive and well at the North Pole. I am referring to the person who ‘played Santa’ at my friend Judy’s annual Christmas party. He was 68 years old. Passing earlier than expected often creates questions about retirement preparation.

There is a lot of talk surrounding the recent rise in bond yields (especially the 10-year Treasury). The media makes reference to a pending bond bear market. I thought it might be interesting to consider how bonds work and why the Great Bond Massacre might be overstated. Understanding how bonds work will help us make better, informed decisions as yields rise and the talk of bond bear markets continue.

A client emailed me with the subject line…” so the rollercoaster begins!” After years (almost a decade) of historically low volatility, we are beginning to see an uptick of volatility. Given the ups and downs of recent market readings and more importantly, the factors leading to the movement, it might feel like you are on a rollercoaster ride.