Hi Everyone, Anthony Valeri, CFA is a market strategist at LPL Financial and he took the time this week to respond to some rather disturbing comments made in regard to bond investing and rising interest rates. The following is a brief summary of his/my perspective. ~Susan "It seems there is no shortage of investors willing to forecast the impending doom for the bond market stemming from a reversal of the long decline in interest rates. Last … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone, Tax season is behind us and May approaches. In honor of this annual transition,I paid extra close attention to the financial news shows and was amused to see how many of them were reminding investors of the theories around "Sell in May and go away." Let's think about it, Susan Profit Taking Gains and Losses The risks of investing go beyond the initial decision to do so. The fear of losing principal has faded into the … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone, It's a busy week with earnings reports, approaching tax deadline and updates to economic indicators such as the Producer Price Index. Also known as PPI, the Labor Department releases it for March on Friday. Here's more about it. ~Susan Producer Price Index "Inflation isn't born in the supermarket. Rather stores inherit it as the prices of goods they buy from their suppliers rise. That's why looking at the … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone, Most of my clients own some bonds in one form or another and the issues of credit quality and the credit cycle are always worth staying informed about. ~Susan The Credit Cycle Most credit cycles have three distinct stages: 1) Time to clean - Corporations will use this stage to clean house, improve balance sheets and get healthy. Risks related to default should begin to lessen. The overall economy can contribute … [Read more...]