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The first quarter of 2018 provided a jolt to investors that were getting used to low volatility.  Financial markets began the year on a tear; at one point in January, large U.S. stocks were up 8%. Then came February, which ushered in a 10% drop.

We have recently experienced a string of bad days in the stock market, that has created anxiety for some clients. We started 2018 on a strong footing, with the first three weeks of the year up very strong. Investors bid up stocks, reflecting a continuation of global growth trends. Growth in the US has been positive, albeit tepid, and there are no signs of recession or a slowdown.

Alsworth Capital Management - Fourth Quarter 2017 Investor Presentation Market & Portfolio Strategy Review, please click HERE

The fourth quarter capped yet another stellar year for US stocks. Large US stocks gained 6.6% for the quarter and ended the year with a 21.7% total return. This was the ninth consecutive year of positive returns for the index, tying the historic 1990s bull market and marking a truly remarkable run from the depths of the 2008 financial crisis.

As you have no doubt heard, the Republican Tax Bill was quickly shepherded through reconciliation and will almost certainly go into effect for the tax year 2018.  The big picture impact of the bill is that after making many last minute generous adjustments, 75% of Americans will see a tax cut to varying degrees and the remainder will see a tax increase.  The bill will also add a minim

Reconciling the two bills will require compromise on some key features. See this chart, provided by PIMCO Funds for a nice summary.

See Chart

Alsworth Capital Management - Third Quarter 2017 Investor PresentationMarket & Portfolio Strategy Review, please click HERE

There is a popular adage in investing, “Sell in May and Go Away!”  The idea is that you should sell your stocks May 1st and ignore the markets until November 1st when you get back in the market.  It happens to coincide with a time frame when many professional institutional traders go on vacation and investors are busy with summer plans.  Since the 1950’s, the va

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.