Blog

WIA BELIEVES | Goldilocks Now, but is there a Bear in the story?

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Outlook: The S&P 500 hit a new all-time high last week, eclipsing the levels seen in late March, yet over that time period, the following occurred: The first Fed rate cut is now expected in September, not June...

WIA BELIEVES | Why We Diversify Client Portfolios

Uncertainty in economies and markets. Yes, much of that exists today with headlines taunting us of soft landings, hard landings, and no landings. But today I am not going to present economic and market analysis (as I sometimes do), nor...

WIA BELIEVES | AI & Everything Else

For the past several quarters we have advised caution that risks of inflation, high interest rates, geo-political concerns, and a looming recession justify staying invested in a  “conservative-moderate” diversified way...

"Financial Earthquake" in Silicon Valley

A minor earthquake hit the financial system late last week, with the bankruptcy and seizure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank (SBNY). We expect this to reverberate throughout the financial system and lead to aftershocks....

WIA BELIEVES | A Shift to Cautious Optimism

FOR SEVERAL QUARTERS NOW WE HAVE CAUTIONED OF STOCK AND BOND HIGH VALUATIONS and of high inflation and rising interest rates. Fortunately, we have positioned client overall portfolios accordingly and have through diversification...

WIA BELIEVES | Inflation is the Driver of Market Volatility

Markets remain extremely volatile with 1% - 2% moves in market indices happening almost daily. Yet for all the market noise and volatility, this remains a broadly uncomplicated market. Following I’d like to add some perspective...

WIA BELIEVES | Not Out of the Bear-filled Woods, Yet

In my WIA Believes a couple of months ago I discussed "Addressing a Growling Bear" and ways to maintain patience through taking comfort in portfolio diversification.  While we are currently in a stock market rally, not uncommon...

WIA BELIEVES | Addressing A Growling Bear

Dear Clients and Friends,Given the ongoing tumult in the stock and bond markets, rather than provide you a reprise of my “market/economic comments” of just seven weeks ago ("Embracing Uncertainty" 3/1/22 ), I want to...

WIA BELIEVES | Embracing Uncertainty

WIA BELIEVES | Bumpy Beginning to a New Year

WIA BELIEVES | 7 Costly Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid

Change of pace from our usual market commentary, and likely very valuable for all families...Let’s ask a question that seemingly has an obvious answer. Why is estate planning important? First of all, when many hear the term...

WIA BELIEVES | Markets and Seasons in Transition

With fall and football on the very near horizon, I’m writing to share some financial thoughts as the markets transition through their traditional summer doldrums. You know me to believe that markets move in the short-term on...

WIA BELIEVES | Inflation - "Transitory" or "Actionable"?

In our April update we wrote about the potential for an uptick in inflation as the world mounted a rapid recovery post widespread vaccine distribution. Up to that turning point, thanks to record-breaking fiscal support, the U.S....

WIA BELIEVES | A Look Back & A Glance Forward

With the first quarter of 2021 having come to an end, and now a year into the Covid Pandemic, I thought I would take this opportunity to take a brief "look back" and then provide a "glance forward" to investments in 2021 and beyond....

Reminder to Register: IN THE ROOM with Dr. Ben S. Bernanke

Just a friendly reminder in case you haven't registered. Get your digital front row seat to hear from former Federal Reserve Chair Dr. Ben S. Bernanke about what’s really happening at the Fed and why it matters. His insights on...

You’re Invited: An Exclusive Conversation with Dr. Ben S. Bernanke

You’re invited to an exclusive conversation with former Federal Reserve Chair Dr. Ben S. Bernanke, who helped guide the U.S. economy out of its worst recession of the century, one created by the financial meltdown of 2008. His...

WIA BELIEVES | 2021 Thesis - Recovery from Angst

For me, as for many I would guess, turning the page on 2020 will be both welcome and with an excitement for what is next to come. The end of this COVID-clouded year closes the chapter on one filled with angst-filled challenges in...

WIA BELIEVES | Phase 2 - Election & Vaccine

The fact of the matter is that two critical matters are soon to bring sought-after clarity - the election and the status of a vaccine. Until then much of the "headlines" we see and hear are just "noise" that create daily market...

WIA BELIEVES | Phase 2 - Waiting for Clarity

I hope this provides some insight to help you better understand some of the complex dynamics that are creating the angst that many of us are feeling these days. Through that unsettling feeling, one based upon a lack of clarity & control...

WIA BELIEVES | Phase 2 - "All-Clear Dashboard"

Investors saw it coming – as they often do. The reopening is underway. Restaurants are beginning to serve sit-down meals, beaches are open, hair is being cut, and nails polished. Workers are being called back to factories and...

Our Changing World - Phase Two Begins

Dear Clients and Friends - Each day for the past several weeks I have poured over emails sent to me by institutional money managers, economists, psychologists and other “seers’ into the financial world. I have participated...

WIA BELIEVES | Resiliency and Connection

Dear Clients and Friends – Having been “Sheltered In Place” for a couple of weeks or so now (who’d have thought I’d ever use that term?), I’ve taken the opportunity to glean insight from investment...

WIA BELIEVES | Virus, Oil and Uncertainty

Clients and Friends - Ten days ago at the start of this market tumult, as global equity markets were trading down 13% +/- from all-time highs, I provided my thoughts on the market impact of the Coronavirus, the long overdue...

WIA BELIEVES | Our Take On "Virus" Volatility

Equity markets have had a very challenging few days, however other diversifying assets have performed positively. As the asset class table below shows, the recent drawdowns have been broad-based across both...

WIA BELIEVES | Bumpy Road Ahead?

Expectations - The Good News may be already baked into the market and equities may be in for a bumpy ride in 2020 Six months ago, fears of a possible recession surfaced due to falling manufacturing levels, acute trade concerns and an...

WIA BELIEVES | The Investor's Dilemma

Rarely over my 36 years of advising clients do I find a "guide to investing" that is actually worth a read. Minds Over Markets is an investor-friendly, graphic-centric piece from Virtus Investments that fits that bill in addressing...

WIA BELIEVES | Bah Humbug? Not so quick...

As suggested in our previous insights, after an 18-month hiatus, volatility has finally shot up and equity and bond valuations have returned to earth in a long-overdue and dramatic fashion. At Webster Investment Advisors, while our...

WIA BELIEVES | 2018 Q3 Vital Signs To Ponder

FAANG Leaders, Emerging Markets Opportunity, Value of Diversification FAANG - Following the Leaders Nearly a decade into the post-2008 crisis era, this bull market has featured not just sizable returns and relatively little volatility,...

WIA BELIEVES | A Strong Case For Diversifiers

Adding Alternatives - Now is the time. Traditionally, there have been five major asset classes in which to invest for long-term objectives such as retirement, paying for college, leaving a legacy, etc. After an era of unprecedented...

WIA BELIEVES | The Italian Job

Ah, it’s summertime in Europe, and again, more tumult! Since the beginning of the decade, problems in Europe have occasionally drifted across the Atlantic. If it’s not Greece, it’s Portugal. If not Portugal, it might...

WIA BELIEVES | 8 Lessons A Decade After The Crash

Nearly a decade has passed since the collapse of the global financial markets, a period marked by massive government bailouts, mass layoffs, and the failure of some of the world’s biggest and most influential financial...

WIA BELIEVES | Volatility Returns

We continue to believe all that we shared in our November 20th commentary - global economies are strong, equities have gotten ahead of themselves, volatility in both stocks and bonds is overdue and natural, and business/government...

WIA BELIEVES | 6 Key Themes For The Next 5 Years

Welcome to 2018! This two-minute Six Key Themes for Next Five Years video from Northern Trust captures the essence of what we believe the upcoming months and next several years will hold for the investment markets. Regardless of the...

WIA BELIEVES | Volatility coming, but we don’t have the necessary ingredients for a Bear Market

Gratitude - as Thanksgiving approaches, I am grateful for friends, family and clients, and also for the opportunity to share insights that may instill confidence in most all investors. Below is a concise and timely overview from a...

The Cleaner - A clever look at a spooky situation

How To Eliminate All The Skeletons In Your Closet After You Die Questionable browser history, racy photographs, and private health conditions are just a few posthumous scandals you might want to avoid. What secrets do you want to take...

WIA BELIEVES | Action for Equifax Data Breach

While discussing quarterly allocations during the first quarter of 2017, we provided each of our clients the Webster Investment Advisors Savvy Cybersecurity Action Guide that suggested steps to be taken to protect personal information....

Preparing For Emergencies In Retirement

As we enter this Labor Day Weekend, our thoughts and prayers go out to the thousands of people affected by the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey. Look for ways to provide assistance at the bottom of today's post....

5 Reasons Millennials Should Be Planning Now

From exotic travels to cuddly animals, there’s plenty to prepare for. USA Today recently reported that Millennials -- those born roughly between 1980-2000 -- would rather enjoy the present than prepare for the future. Similarly,...

Retirement & Your Relationship With Money

Money. Talk about your hot button issues! No matter how hard we try to convince ourselves otherwise, there's a hard-to-deny link between self-worth and our personal finances. We judge ourselves, to varying degrees, by our earning...

WIA BELIEVES | Tech & The 2% GDP Anomoly

2% GDP Growth – Get Comfortable With It - Why low global and domestic GDP does not truly represent the strength of worldwide economies. In a first century fable, Gaius Julius Phaedrus said “things are not always what they...

The 13 Biggest Regrets People Have About Retirement

Whether already retired, or thinking of retirement, this is one of the best articles we have seen that address the critical decisions that retirees face. These are action items and decision-making processes that can actually be...

How Difficult Is It To Talk With Your Family About Money?

How Difficult Is It To Talk With Your Family About Money? This article on finance is provided by one of Webster Investment Advisor's partners, Everplans. Create, store and share important documents that your loved ones might need....

WIA BELIEVES - Handle with Extreme Care

While the election results in France are creating a market-surge today, Steve Blumenthal's observations to a large extent reflect those of how we currently feel about current medium-term market conditions.

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