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I filled up my car with gas the other day, and it cost $91.78. Good times!

As I reflect on the first five months of 2022, expensive gas is certainly one thing that sticks out. Inflation is running at +/- 40-year highs, and we are all feeling it one way or another. Even my Starbucks Venti Cold Brew costs 25% more than a year ago!
I find the economy and financial markets so interesting because of how intertwined everything is. For example, rising inflation impacts corporate earnings, which, in turn, impacts stock prices. To be sure, some companies benefit from inflation, but many more are hurt by it.

Every family we work with is unique. However, over the years, I have found one common denominator: all have built wealth through sacrifice, hard work, and a strong set of financial values that includes monitoring spending and prioritizing saving.

These values, coupled with a thoughtful investment strategy, have allowed many families to accumulate more wealth than they could ever spend in their lifetimes. As a result, a significant portion of this family wealth will be passed down to the next generation at some point in time, and many family leaders feel anxious about this wealth transfer: How will this wealth transfer impact family dynamics? Are the kids ready to assume the financial responsibility? Will they manage financial opportunities appropriately? Will the values that built this wealth live on?

I have always been an avid outdoorsman, spending much of my free time camping and hiking in the mountains. And over the years, I’ve looked for ways to incorporate these interests into my investment portfolio.

When I was younger, I did this by investing in companies related to the outdoor industry. However, today technology has made it possible to take a much more impactful approach through ESG investing.

There’s no sugarcoating it; the current state of the markets has many of our clients thinking like the 1981 punk rock classic by The Clash:

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I go, there will be trouble

And if I stay it will be double

So come on and let me know

Should I stay or should I go?*

I don’t suspect that the song was meant as a commentary on portfolio management strategies. (In fact, the band has never disclosed any real meaning to the lyrics.)  Nonetheless, I do think it provides an appropriate framework for examining today’s investment world.

So, let’s take a look at the cases for “going” and for “staying.”

In honor of Financial Literacy month in April, SWP Wealth Advisors shared money lessons they have learned throughout their lives.  In this piece, you will find a compilation of these lessons.

Each month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks the price of consumer goods and services in the United States. Recently the BLS reported that the cost of this “basket” of goods increased by 1.2% in March — bringing the 12-month change to 8.5%, the highest in more than 40 years.[1]

In this article, we want to share our perspective on what is driving inflation and, most importantly, how your SWP team is navigating this period of increasing prices.

Over the years, we have had the privilege to serve a wide range of professional service providers such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants. Through our work with these professionals, we’ve identified things that make their lives especially unique from a wealth management perspective.

SWP Principal David Copeland is excited to continue his affiliation with the CAIS Advisory Council. He enjoys helping them with their mission of broadening access and education to alternative investments for the advisor community. Read more

Here are five more pieces that additional team members have read, along with some commentary on why they found the respective articles interesting. Like the last set of articles, we’ve included pieces related to economics, investments, current events, and behavioral finance.