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Stocks around the globe continued to surge in the second quarter.  The U.S and developed international markets led the way, with the S&P 500 Index gaining 8.5% and developed international stocks rising 5.7%.  Emerging-market stocks trailed in terms of progress on the COVID-19 front and in turn rose by a more modest 4.9%.  In bond markets, the 10-year Treasury bond prices

The country is now slowly emerging from the shelter at home orders.  Like most people, I’m tired of it.  I miss my friends, some of whom are moving away soon.  This virus is robbing me of the opportunity to spend time with them, which I will never get back.  I miss my family.  I’ve missed birthdays, graduations, reunions and planned vacations.  I miss m

I hope this letter finds you physically and mentally healthy.  We have passed the initial shock of pandemic fears, financial panic and our social world being turned upside down.  However, the battle continues and the effects of isolation from shelter-in-place are cumulative with time. 

In my last letter I advised you not to kill the sheep, but instead to keep it fed and alive, so that we can shear the profits in a recovery.  While I have been exceptionally busy on the phone and through emails, talking through portfolio strategy, I have not had one client (yet) instruct me to kill the sheep and sell out of stocks.  This fact gives me great joy!

You are no doubt consuming the news like drinking from a fire hose.  It is good to stay informed.  However, I recommend taking frequent breaks and remembering the importance of walking outside and feeling the sun as often as is feasible. While we are learning what social distance rules to live by, we are fortunate in our ability to still interact with nature and stay connected th

Market Recap

We sent out a letter directly after the Equifax Data Breach providing some background on the problem.  We also recommended in the letter that you consider adding a security freeze on your credit accounts with each of the three main agencies.  If you lost that letter or have now decided to go ahead with the security freeze, here are the phone numbers again, to make the election:

You no doubt have heard about the Equifax data breach.  News of the breach coincided with the formation of Hurricane Irma, so you may not have given it much priority.  It is estimated that 143 million Americans could have been impacted by the breach, affecting nearly everyone that has a credit file.