Strategic Wealth Partners was acquired by Kovitz Investment Group Partners, LLC ("Kovitz"), a registered investment adviser with the SEC on May 1, 2024. Strategic Wealth Partners is now a division of Kovitz and its registered investment adviser. Materials created prior to this date were created by Strategic Wealth Partners and are accurate as of the time of publishing.

What We Have Been Reading – Market Commentary & Beyond

Our team regularly reads articles from industry peers and trusted resources to stay up to date on financial markets.  We enjoy reading about topics related to economics, investments, current events, and financial planning.

In addition to circulating some of the best pieces internally, we thought our clients, partners, and friends might enjoy reading some of the same articles as us.

We received great feedback on the articles we circulated in 2022, so we wanted to follow up with some more!

Here are 6 recent pieces that our team members have read, along with some commentary on why we found the respective articles interesting.

A.J. Price & Cory Rappaport – 2022 Was One of the Worst Years Ever For Markets

A.J. – It’s no secret that the stock market was down in 2022. This article, though, also touches on the historic drawdown of the bond market, and the impact it had on the “traditional” 60/40 portfolio. While these drops are never fun, we expect them from time to time when building a long-term asset allocation between stocks, bonds, and alternatives.

Cory – There’s no denying that 2022 was an especially challenging year for investors. It was THE worst bond market in history, coupled with a sluggish stock market, setting the stage for a painful calendar year.  After reading this article and seeing the traditional 60/40 portfolio returns, I found comfort in SWP’s use of alternative investments. They were the bright spot of portfolios in a dim year that, in many instances, helped portfolios outperform this benchmark. We are constantly searching for new alternative investments that can help positively impact our clients and their portfolios.

Andrew Denenberg – Wall Street’s Top Stars Got Blindsided by 2022 Market Collapse

This article shows how easy it is to get market timing calls wrong, even when equipped with tremendous resources that the average investor can’t come close to matching.  For most people, the risk of being bearish and being wrong is far worse than being bearish and being right. If this recent bear market does not recover to make new highs, that would be a first.

Joe Thompson – Planning a Roth Rollover? Watch Out For the 5-Year Rule

As volatility continues at the start of 2023, there are still ways to take advantage of it. Roth IRA conversions are a great planning element to consider again this year. This article explains some important items to consider before you move forward with a strategy like this.

Mike Garrison & Tom Buhrmann – Sea Change

Mike – I always enjoy reading the quarterly memos from Howard Marks, the co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management. Whether you agree with Marks’ opinion of what previous sea changes have been over the last 50 years and/or if we are in the middle of one now, this post does a good job of reminding investors to sometimes pull back from the short-term data and take a 30,000-foot view of the market environment. 

Tom – I’m a big fan of Howard Marks and his memos, where he shares his observations and perspective. I always find his writings to be rational (ignoring the emotions that can get the best of investors) and helpful in understanding the current environment and considerations for what lies ahead.

Kristopher Gutowski Meme-Stock Influencers Charged in $114 Million Fraud Scheme (3)

If it sounds too easy to make a quick buck, it is. Our advice: seeking higher return means taking on more risk. Stick to the long-term principles of investing, build your wealth over time, and focus on what it takes to achieve your personally meaningful goals instead of pursuing return at all costs. Give us a call if you are tempted to take investment advice from an internet influencer!

Mike Karmin – Think you have it bad?

I always find it valuable to read pieces by my industry peers.  In this article, Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO Josh Brown lets us know that while 2022 was a rough year, it really could have been a lot worse.  His firm incorporated many of the same strategies we used for our clients, including tax loss harvesting and risk management through diversification.  Brown also makes a case for the workers who were most impacted over the past year by the challenging market conditions. It’s a great article that provides perspective on what many investors and workers were up against last year.

Conclusion:

We look forward to sharing more articles with you in the future. In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss how the topics in these pieces may apply to your own portfolio, please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our team.


Disclosure:

This article contains general information that is not suitable for everyone. The information contained herein should not be constructed as personalized investment advice. Reading or utilizing this information does not create an advisory relationship. An advisory relationship can be established only after the following two events have been completed (1) our thorough review with you of all the relevant facts pertaining to a potential engagement; and (2) the execution of a Client Advisory Agreement. There is no guarantee that the views and opinions expressed in this article will come to pass. Investing in the stock market involves gains and losses and may not be suitable for all investors. Information presented herein is subject to change without notice and should not be considered as a solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Strategic Wealth Partners (‘SWP’) is an SEC registered investment advisor with its principal place of business in the State of Illinois. The brochure is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its investment advisory services, views on the market, and investment philosophy. Any subsequent, direct communication by SWP with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. For information pertaining to the registration status of SWP, please contact SWP or refer to the Investment Advisor Public Disclosure website (http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).

For additional information about SWP, including fees and services, send for our disclosure brochure as set forth on Form ADV from SWP using the contact information herein. Please read the disclosure brochure carefully before you invest or send money (http://www.stratwealth.com/legal).

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