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The Danger Lies In The Trek Down The Mountain

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 In this video Matt is standing on the top of a mountain in Lake Chelan. He’s discussing how hiking a mountain parallels the risks people face once they retire. It’s often been said that people are more likely to be injured or killed descending a mountain than climbing up it. Retirement is no different. Making a mistake with your investments while still working (climbing the mountain), will more than likely not end in calamity. However, making a mistake in retirement (descending the mountain) may not be something that can be recovered from. As a point of reference, Matt isn’t trying to impose fear on those of you that are retired regarding a market downturn. He’s referring to being overly risky when you don’t need to, taking speculative bets with investments that you may not fully understand, panicking and getting out of the market until you feel more comfortable. These are instances that you have control over and avoided with sound guidance.

Here at Ross Financial we specialize in helping people navigate the complexities of retirement. If you know people who are retired or thinking about retiring within the next 5 years, we would love to offer our expertise to them. Feel free to share this video with them.

Let’s talk politics

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In this week’s Matt’s Minutes we touch on that timely topic that gets brought up to us every 4 years. There is always going to be different thoughts and opinions on how each presidency could affect the market differently but as we discuss in this video. Many common misconceptions for the past two presidents have proven to be opposite of the actual case. For example, the Biden administration campaigned on scaling back fossil fuels and galvanizing renewables. One would have expected traditional energy stocks would be punished, while renewables would be catapulted. Instead, the exact opposite has happened. On the other hand, President Trump campaigned vigorously to support the traditional energy industry and approve leases for drilling during his presidency. However, during his presidency the S&P 500 Energy index was down, while the S&P 500 Global Clean Energy index was up significantly. This is a perfect example of why we here at Ross Financial strive to keep our clients in diversified portfolios and try to steer clear of attempting to time the market or use speculation.

The article below outlines the source for the statistics mentioned.

https://am.jpmorgan.com/us/en/asset-management/adv/insights/market-insights/market-updates/on-the-minds-of-investors/how-much-does-policy-influence-sector-performance/

Staying the Course with Your Investments – Part 1: What a Difference a Year Makes

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In this week’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, Matt is starting a two-week, two-part series titled “Staying the Course with Your Investments.” In today’s video, Matt shares an interesting visual that shows what a difference a year can make, comparing returns in 2022 compared to 2023. Showing us that the quote “it’s darkest before dawn” holds true in this case. Also enforcing the importance of staying committed to our investments, even during challenging times. Click on the video above to watch the full video.

Staying the Course with Your Investments – Part 2: Stick to the plan

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This week is part 2 of our two-part series titled “Staying the Course with Your Investments.” We are discussing a hypothetical scenario with four different investor behaviors. By examining these four different investor behaviors, we can gain valuable insights into the importance of sticking to our investment plan. It can be tempting to make impulsive decisions based on short-term fluctuations, but staying the course is key to long-term success. Click on the video above to watch the full video.

Understanding Changing Rates

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In this week’s video we are touching upon the timely topic of changing interest rates and what that means for certain investments. We have discussed this in the past but we have a new visual to share with you that might shed some more light on where rates are currently and what that means going forward for 2024 and beyond. Click the video above to hear more on the topic.

“Forecasting” the Markets for 2024

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 In this weeks episode of Matt’s Minutes, Matt is sharing his number one most asked question of his career. “Matt what do you think the market is going to do next?” Today, we finally have an answer for you. But it’s important to remember, not to make concrete investment decisions based on people’s predictions of what the market is going to do. This information should be used for entertainment purposes only. Market predictions are speculative in nature and can often be inaccurate. Click on the video above to watch the full video.

Here is the article I reference in the video: Wall Street Forecasts For The S&P 500

What could be better than a 5% CD

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In today’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we are talking about CD rates, which are currently favorable. But it is crucial to consider potential shifts in other areas of the market for investment options for long-term growth. In this interesting visual I share, we can see from history that when CD rates were at their peak, other areas of the market might have been a better place to invest one year later. Click play above to watch the full video.

Source: JP Morgan Guide to the Markets 2023

Where Are The Opportunities?

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 In today’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, I’m recording from a two-day conference in beautiful Alderbrook. I just heard from chief market strategist Dr. David Kelly, who is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and other financial media outlets. He shared some interesting insights and compelling visuals that support the idea that there are still plenty of opportunities within the market. The visual shared in this video provides a visual representation of the current undervalued categories within the market, highlighting the potential for growth and opportunity.

Dr. David Kelly's Bio

Are Bonds Broken?

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In today’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we were discussing bonds. While bonds may have disappointed us last year, it’s important to understand how interest rates impact the value of bonds and why they underperformed last year. In the video above, Matt explains this inverse relationship, and by understanding the dynamics of bonds, investors can anticipate how changes in interest rates may affect the value of bonds in their portfolios. 

Is hindsight really 20/20 vision?

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In today’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we are discussing hindsight—is it really 20/20? Hindsight may seem like 20/20 vision because it allows us to see the consequences of our choices more clearly. However, it’s important to remember that the decision-making process itself plays a crucial role in shaping those outcomes. Seeking wise counsel can often lead to better outcomes and help you avoid potential pitfalls. So don’t hesitate to reach out to us for the support you need on your decision-making journey.

The Pain of Loss vs. The Pleasure of Gains

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In today’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we are talking about the concept of loss aversion. The study I reference in this video highlights the fact that most people need to win twice as much as they lose in order to participate in any venture that involves risk. Said differently, the sting of lose hurts twice as much as the thrill of win. This finding sheds light on the importance of understanding our individual risk tolerance and how it can impact how we invest. Attached to this email is a risk questionnaire. It is a very unique questionnaire that is actually fun to take. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions, you can gain valuable insights into your own appetite for risk. If you do answer the questions, please reply to this email and let us know what your risk score or letter is.

Matt’s Minutes – Is This The Worst Time To Be An Investor?

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In this week’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we are posing this question, “Is this the worst time to be an investor?”. We’re looking at an interesting visual that contradicts this thought and shows how previous market downturns have contrasted to our current situation.

Source for the visual used in this video: S&P 500 (Price return), Bloomberg, Bespoke Investment Group.

Matt’s Minutes – Why The Value Of Your Investment Account Isn’t Important

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This might be the most controversial episode Matt has ever produced. In this week’s episode of Matt’s Minutes, we are discussing why the balance of your investment account doesn’t really matter. Now that I have your attention, hear me out. Click the video above to see why.

 

Matt references dollar cost averaging in this video. If you want to see a great example of dollar cost averaging, watch this video: Dollar-Cost Averaging: A Magic Trick

Matt’s Thoughts On The Market: Past, Present & Future

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In this episode of Matt’s Minutes, Matt shares his personal thoughts on markets: past, present, and future.  This is something we don’t normally do. Be sure to watch the video, I’ll cover:

 

  1. Inflation
  2. Future Rate Hikes
  3. Market Cycle
  4. What I see happening in the near future

 

Don’t hesitate to reach out if we can offer clarity to you or anyone that you care about.

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Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Constellation Wealth Services is not a registered broker dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

Matthew Ross has been named 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by Shook Research, is based on the period from 6/30/2022 to 6/30/2023 and was released on 4/3/2024. 42,108 nominations were received, and 8,500 advisors won. Neither Raymond James nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award. More: https://bit.ly/43DMgjX. Please see https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors for more info.

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