Happy 4th of July! If there ever was a holiday for Financial Advisors, this is it. Independence Day! Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It may be independence from work or perhaps worry (where is the money going to come from for …..). It may just be a feeling of having a resource to answer questions or bounce ideas off of. Regardless, we are here to help and celebrate all that is wonderful about our country.
A common question I get is; Where is the stock market? If you are asking about the S&P 500, the index is up 4.38% year to date as of June 26. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 1.92% year to date and the NASDAQ is up 4.44%. Why all the numbers? Glad you asked. It’s a bit like asking how’s the weather, it’s all relative. The Dow refers to 30 industrial companies, period. The S&P 500 is a larger index (500 versus 30), but still basically US companies. The NASDAQ index is weighted toward technology, roughly 62% of stocks are tech companies. If I asked a farmer about the weather, his answer might relate to the crops he grows. If I asked an event planner, they might relate to the upcoming weddings. So, when you ask me about the stock market, we are going to answer with your objectives in mind.
Speaking of objectives….where are you going this Summer? To be honest, during the Summer and because we don’t have a school year to regulate when and where we go, we avoid heavily travelled spots during the Summer. We will probably getaway for long weekends at cooler spots in Northern California. Hint, Hint …we love hearing of your adventures and maybe a picture or two.
It's great to see children coming back for the Summer and hear about upcoming adventures as Seniors head off to College. If you have children and you are concerned about having the money for College, let’s talk. There are lots of ways to save with pluses and minuses. Or like someone I know, saved for years and then the child went off to the Army, which will pay for their education. Now what do we do with the savings????
Life happens! We are a long way from 1776. But those self evident truths still hold today; life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Enjoy the holiday. Remember those who met in tough, hot conditions in Philadelphia and gave their wisdom to form this country, insuring the independence to pursue our dreams.