Markets: What’s Really Behind It All?
As we look back on a year filled with surprises (from its opening days onward), it’s natural to wonder what to expect in 2017. This is especially so, since most of those surprising events have yet to play out in full – from the political climate in the U.S., to the Brexit referendum in the U.K. to uncertainty in government bond and oil prices around the world.
We are reminded of a favorite quote from The Wall Street Journal personal financial columnist Jason Zweig, who once observed that “Wall Street often resembles a blindfolded person looking in a darkened closet for a pair of black shoes that isn’t there.”
Interestingly, Zweig made his comment back in October 2008, when we had yet to see the light at the end of a very dark financial tunnel. We think the sentiment fits nearly any global market and any market climate, including whatever 2017 has in store for us.
Instead of getting too hung up on the forecasts from pundits or prognosticators, let’s take a moment to pause and celebrate the truly remarkable life force that has long driven our financial markets: human enterprise.
Posted by:
Waypoint Wealth Management
The Life You Chose
For some reason, a lot of people seem to be retiring lately. Over the last year, I and my partners Dave and Grant have helped numerous people make that leap away from their career, which for many can be a scary time. This is a very rewarding aspect of our careers as advisors. And it is also humbling and a great responsibility to advise those clients through this major event in their lives.
Once we get beyond the “X’s and O’s” related to the financial aspect of this planning, I can’t help but think about this next chapter for them and this word “Retirement.” At a recent class I attended, financial planner and Forbes columnist Carolyn McClanahan said something that we couldn’t agree with more. She said “let’s stop calling this Retirement, and start calling this just another transition in life that needs to be planned for.” To me, that opens up the realm of possibilities for the future rather than just contemplating what you would stop doing (which is the traditional way to approach retirement).
Posted by:
Pete Dixon, CFP®
Partner and Advisor