Tyler and Chuck sit down to discuss College Education planning. The discussion begins with having the end in mind by knowing the current costs of college and the expected future costs of college. We review average merit and grant based awards and the current cost for education in Michigan. Next, we review the benefits of college education and highlight the higher pay and lower unemployment rates for college graduates. Later, we review 529 plans as the best place to save for college education...

Tyler and Jordan are back to discuss interest rates, the fixed income market, the stock market, and recent earnings developments. Find the charts discussed on the podcast at Podcast (lvmcapital.com). 

Tyler and Jordan discuss stock market returns to start 2023, historical returns in the fourth quarter after poor returns in August and September, investing for the longer-term, improving yields for future fixed income returns and more. 

Tyler and Jordan sit down and review several market related charts. We discuss market breadth, market concentration, the cautious investor, market fundamentals, and market valuations. Follow along with the charts in the show notes at the link below.  https://www.lvmcapital.com/post/market-chart-review 

Tyler and Jordan review the “Momentum Factor” in our fourth and final installment of the fundamental factors of investing. Momentum investing is a strategy that seeks to profit from the continuance of an existing market trend. This trading strategy centers around investors buying stocks that are already going up and selling stocks that are falling. The largest ETF by assets under management (AUM) for momentum investing is the iShares Momentum factor ETF which analyzes stock prices, adjusted...

Tyler and Chuck discuss the recently passed SECURE 2.0 Act by congress and some of its benefits for retirement savers. Some key take aways include, Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) age increasing to 73 in 2023 and to 75 in 2033, reduced penalties for failing to take a RMD, increased catch-up contributions to retirement accounts, employer Roth matching contributions, 529 plan conversions to Roth accounts, and more. 

Tyler and Jordan review the growth factor for our third installment of the fundamental factors of investing. The growth factor or style of investing focuses on companies that have an above average rate of revenue or earnings growth. Growth investing typically favors younger companies with shorter track records but potentially a new or untapped economic market. They also include investments or companies in new technologies or services. Some companies classified as growth will pay a dividend...

Tyler and Chuck sit down to review a NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) conference presentation by Bob Morrison attended by Chuck at the fall conference. We pull out and dissect several estate planning mistakes that are made and how to avoid them.  We start by reviewing the current estate tax exemption (the amount which your estate is not subject to taxes when you die) and its upcoming changes. The federal estate tax exemption for 2022 is $12.06 million, increasing to...

Tyler and Craig review the “Value Factor” for our second installment of the fundamental factors of investing. In the investment industry there are various definitions of the value factor, but one description refers to the value factor as the factor that aims to capture excess returns from stocks that have low prices relative to their fundamental value. This is commonly tracked by price to book, price to earnings, dividends, and free cash flow. Historically it is the price to book valuation...

In the first of our four-part series on the fundamental factors of investing, Tyler and Jordan sit down to discuss the “quality factor” and what makes a quality company. Our discussion revolves around operating efficiency, earnings quality, and leverage and capital structure. Keep in mind that the figures we discuss vary by industry, company size, and geography.  Please see our post for show notes and descriptions: Fundamental Factors of Investing Part 1: What Makes a Quality Company?...

Tyler and Craig discuss second quarter earnings for the S&P 500 and its constituents which have come in better than expected. Sales were 3% better than Wall Street estimates and earnings were 4.5% better than expectations. Sales and earnings growth were led by the energy sector as earnings in the sector grew by 300% on the backs of higher energy prices. Financials, consumer discretionary, and communication sectors were the only sectors to post earnings declines. Financials were negatively...

Tyler and Jordan recap the first half equity, fixed income, and commodity markets. Inflation is impacting valuations for both stocks and bonds while negatively impacting consumer sentiment. The good news is valuations are coming down to more sustainable levels and returns after bear markets have historically been strong. Check out the charts discussed and a recap of the podcast at Podcast (lvmcapital.com). 

Tyler and Craig sit down to discuss how the current market volatility could be used to one’s advantage. We review rebalancing and having an appropriate asset allocation relative to your goals, objectives, and risk tolerances. Tyler and Craig also discuss the current economic backdrop, the history of market returns after experiencing declines like we are seeing today and how to take advantage tax loss harvesting. Check out our podcast blog post at Podcast (lvmcapital.com) to read a summary and...

Tyler and Jordan review the Commerce Department’s estimate of first quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which showed the US economy contracted on a real (after inflation) basis. On a current dollar basis, GDP increased 6.5% or $380 billion to a level of $24.4 trillion. The price index for GDP purchases increased 7.8% which brought the nominal growth to negative real growth. Economists estimated the economy would grow at an annual rate of 1.1%, but the first release showed the economy...

Tyler and Jordan sit down to recap the first quarter 2022 capital market returns. The S&P 500 fell nearly 5% in the quarter with weaker returns in small cap stocks (-7.8%), small cap growth stocks (-12.7%), and large cap growth (-9.2%). The S&P 500 at its low was down 12.4% before staging a rebound in the last few weeks of the quarter. Commodity returns were led by energy which recorded a 46.1% return for the quarter. Strong returns in agricultural products like wheat (+29%) and corn...

Tyler and Jordan discuss the recent Fed meeting which resulted in the first interest rate hike since 2018. Fed economists also lowered their projections for economic growth in the US from the 4% projected in January to just under 3%. Economist are warning of slower growth likely due to continued geopolitical concerns and inflation. Tyler discusses the current divergence between consumer confidence levels and consumer spending via retail sales. The US economy is roughly 70% tied to consumer...

Tyler, Jordan, and Craig sit down to discuss market volatility driven by the current geopolitical events in Europe and the expected monetary policy tightening via fed fund rate hikes and balance sheet reduction by the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 is currently in a 12% correction with the median stock in the index down over 16%. The NASDAQ-100 and Russell 2000 (small caps stocks index) are in larger declines, down 19%, with median stock declines of 23% and 33%, respectively.  Craig reviews...

Tyler, Craig, and Jordan review the early reporters in the fourth quarter earnings season.  As of the week of January 31st, companies are reporting earnings 5% better than expected. Earnings growth is just over 30% with sales growing 17%. Energy and Industrials are the standout sectors as they are coming off a low base during the fourth quarter in 2020. We review the earnings and revenue growth figures for Apple, Microsoft, and Google which surprised to the upside resulting in some positive...

Jordan and Chuck discuss planning items for the upcoming year. We review updated retirement contribution levels and different planning strategies you can implement to save on taxes. 

Tyler and Jordan review the recent history of rate hikes in anticipation of the Federal Reserve increasing the Fed Funds Rate in 2022. We look at the S&P 500 performance during those periods and how those periods differ compared to the current unemployment, inflation, and economic activity levels. 

Tyler and Jordan are back to talk about the recent market volatility. Some common market headlines are assigning market volatility to supply chains, Coronavirus spikes and variants, and the winding down of monetary stimulus. We look at charts that show volatility measured by the VIX, the percentage of stocks in the NASDAQ that are at new 52-week lows, some Covid business beneficiaries recent struggles and stock price drawdowns, how the best performing stocks of 2020 are in the biggest...

Jordan and Wyatt continue the discussion on cryptocurrency. They discuss the different methods of verifying cryptocurrency transactions, proof of work and proof of stake, as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Proof of work consists of computers racing to be the first to add transactions to the blockchain in exchange for a crypto reward, while proof of stake involves the rewarding of patient investors who commit, or “stake” their cryptocurrency in exchange for a chance...

On today's podcast Tyler, Jordan, and Wyatt discuss cryptocurrency and the blockchain. Cryptocurrencies are a digital or virtual currency that are based off a decentralized network that runs on blockchain technology. The blockchain is a distributed ledger or database that stores information. Generally, the information stored are the transactions. We discuss some future applications that may come from the use of blockchain technology such as smart contracts, insurance, and auditing...

Tyler and Sahana talk about managing a windfall. A windfall is a large, and sometimes unexpected financial gain. Common windfalls include inheritance, sale of property or business, salary bonus or winning a lottery. Tyler and Sahana discuss things to think about when receiving a windfall such as savings, potential taxes, emergency funds, charitable and family gifting, paying of debts, long-term savings, and splurging a little on your good fortune. Reach out to us ([email protected]) and...