Morningstar 2016 529 Ratings

Source for an interactive version of this map.

Rally! Rally! Rally?

Source: Bloomberg

As Lu Wang wrote October 14, 2016 for Bloomberg:

One ominous signal that marked trading in 2015 has begun to reassert itself, a pattern in which the benchmark index hovers near a 52-week high while the proportion of stocks that are similarly elevated dwindles.

On a more positive note for the market listen to Barry James, President and CIO James Investment Research, speak during this Bloomberg radio interview (Listen from minute 7 until 10). Their indicators are starting to look a bit better for stocks and they are increasing their stock allocation for their James Balanced Golden Rainbow Fund from 47% to 52%. This is a tactical fund focused on growth and capital preservation and can allocate between 20% and 80% to stocks. Wise investing my friends.

Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. This blog is for educational purposes only and does NOT constitute individual investment advice.

The One Monthly Payment Killing Your Wealth

Jeff Rose wrote this for Forbes as a contributor:

According to a recent State of the Automotive Finance Study from Experian, the average new car payment reached $499 per month last quarter. Worse, the average new car loan is 68 months long! Like my man Dave Ramsey says, it’s entirely preposterous when you really think about it.

Have you ever imagined what you could do with an extra $499 per month? Let’s face it; probably not. These days, we blame everything but our car payments for our inability to get ahead.

We blame our employers for not giving us the raises we deserve, or our parents for not educating us enough. We blame health insurance premiums, the price of groceries, the housing market, and even the price of gas. But, do we ever throw shade at our car payments? Heavens no.

Somewhere along the line, we’ve become socially conditioned to believe a huge car payment is a fact of life. We tell ourselves that everyone has a car payment, and that it’s normal and okay. And heck, if we’re going to have a car payment, we might as well get the car we want, right?

This kind of thinking is so widespread it’s practically an epidemic. The thing is, it’s also absolutely wrong….and it’s killing our wealth.

He ends with this:

If you work hard and still can’t get ahead, your car payment might be the culprit of your money woes. Before you head to the dealership, you should ask yourself if that new car smell is worth losing out on $179,640 the next thirty years – or up to $820,483 in investment returns. Chances are, it’s not even close.

Source: Jeff Rose, CFP