By Bob Landaas
These are certainly trying times for investors. As the novel coronavirus spreads, significant sectors of the U.S. economy have either slowed or shut down. The plunge in stock prices has unnerved even seasoned, long-term investors. I am thankful for practicing a balanced approach to money management. Most clients have a significant portion of their investments in bonds. Bonds serve many roles but primarily function as a source of funds during a bear market.

Market volatility has continued to spike amid the ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease. Much remains unknown, and financial markets have reacted to the uncertainty with the S&P 500 reaching 10% correction territory in one week.
The decline should remind investors of key points:

By Kyle Tetting
The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, is getting blamed for late January’s stock market volatility. A mysterious virulent disease is certainly cause for concern and offers a tidy cause-and-effect explanation for investor skittishness, but it hardly tells the whole story of the swing in stock prices. Several concerns predated the outbreak.

The highest price-earnings ratios in more than a decade have investors eyeing corporate earnings. […]

By Kyle Tetting
Tail winds for stock prices resulted in exceptional returns for 2019. Notably, though, the strong stock performance was not accompanied by strong earnings growth. Over time, stock prices are driven by earnings and interest rates but, as we saw in 2019, prices can deviate from earnings, at least temporarily. […]

By Joel Dresang
Even though a slower global economy should not alarm most U.S. investors, it’s worth monitoring. At the same time, it’s not worth trying to avoid overseas investments. Being part of the global market is essential to a balanced portfolio. […]

By Kyle Tetting
Investors have plenty to be thankful for as they consider portfolio returns entering the final weeks of 2019. Asset classes, virtually across the board, have added meaningfully to returns, with only a couple of periods of modest volatility. Despite the successes, though, 2019 hasn’t all been good news.

By Kyle Tetting
Summer is supposed to be a quiet stretch for stocks, especially the month of August. With warm weather and summer vacations, most traders would rather be at the beach than on a computer. Typically, trading volumes are lower, and daily price swings are less volatile. Stock markets in 2019 have given investors plenty of reasons to head to the beach, but this August has offered more than usual to think about.

By Kyle Tetting
We knew recovery from a financial crisis would be slow, but the more deliberate pace has allowed for protracted growth without the economic overheating that accompanies many expansions. […]

In a MONEY TALK VIDEO, Bob Landaas and Marc Amateis explain how recent trends in monetary policy could affect investors. […]

By Kyle Tetting
The performance of stocks in May reflects growing uncertainty about the state of global economic growth. The trade war with China has exacerbated the problem, but it is unfair to blame the entirety of the decline on increased tariffs and ongoing uncertainty. With strong year-to-date returns and growing uncertainty, it can be tempting for investors to try to time an exit from stocks. Current concerns also coincide with misguided investment wisdom to “sell in May.” While it’s never too late to revisit allocations, for a variety of reasons, it is not time to abandon stocks.

Even as stock indexes hit record highs, investors may already be in the first earnings recession in three years. […]