The S&P 500 declined 23.6% from it’s all-time high of 4,796.6 on January 3rd to a closing low (so far) of 3,666.8 on June 16th. The index finished its worst first half since 1970 at 3785.4. The violence of the decline peaked in mid-June when the market ran off a streak of five out of

Read More

Historically, it seems the primary function of financial journalism (perhaps all journalism) is to scare us out of our wits. We have been reminded of this almost hourly since the S&P 500 entered official “bear market territory” on Monday, June 13th by closing 20% below its previous all-time high set in January of 2022. Bear

Read More

Every successful retirement income plan requires a solution for 2 unknowns: Longevity – how long will we need income, and Inflation – how much will prices rise. The fundamental problem of retirement income is building an income that rises to meet your rising cost of living and lasts the rest of your life. Longevity risk

Read More

Featured Articles: Good Writing From Around The Web Generating Alpha Sows the Seeds of Its Own Destruction It’s a cautionary tale. Attempting outperformance leads to underperformance. Going to the Gym in the Dark This is an excellent way to build your “overcoming adversity” muscles. How to Be Healthy in a Dopamine-Seeking Culture And this: The

Read More

These are fundamentals of investing. Successful lifetime investors remain aware of these two realities at all times. When most people hear them in a calm setting within the context of long-term planning, they agree. They don’t push back at all. It just makes sense. It is a fact that doesn’t need proof. It is the

Read More

It is obvious that it depends on the depth of a particular bear market. It’s slightly less obvious that it also depends a great deal on how long you have been invested. If you have recently begun investing –OR– if you have recently changed your investing philosophy and a bear market arrives, it is very

Read More

This is a really important distinction to know about. Whether you notice the storytelling or not… it is happening all the time. The more you notice it, the less you suffer. An Acute Personal Example For those of you who are relatively new to this blog or newsletter, my brother died last year – the

Read More

With markets down into almost-bear-market-territory, nerves are fraying and questions are being asked. It is perhaps time for another reminder that, “This too shall pass.” The following is the market data surrounding all the bear markets (or near bear markets) in the S&P 500 since its inception on March 4th, 1957. In the 26 years

Read More

A “Bear Market” is usually defined as the condition in which the price of a market falls – on a closing basis – 20% (or more) from recent highs amid widespread negative investor sentiment. That’s the definition. Can you tell me: Are we in a Bear Market? It depends. Your answer to the question, “Are

Read More