Interactive Financial Planning
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Licciardello Quoted in Article for Bankrate.com
I was recently interviewed for an article about the advantages of Health Savings Accounts. This is a tremendous planning idea that simply hasn’t got much traction….yet. Read the article by clicking on link below: HSA’s and High Deductible Health Plans
Our Newest Advisor
We are delighted to announce that Cristina Licciardello has passed her Series 65 exam and has joined the ranks of Trusted Financial Advisors at Compass Capital Corporation.
Video: Q2 2013 Global Economic Market Review By Kevin P. Barr, SEI
Looking back at the second quarter, market sentiment was positive until May 22.
Where Have We Been, Where are we Headed?
The first quarter of 2013 has seen a year’s worth of returns in the first quarter. Are we headed for more record territory, or will headwinds blow us back? While my crystal ball can accurately predict the past, there is much economic data to review.
Economic Update May 28th
Global economic news was mostly soft this week. SEI continues
to expect modest growth in North America, despite ongoing
political and economic uncertainties, as challenges in Europe will
likely continue.
Why Do We Choose SEI?
(NASDAQ: SEIC) is a leading global provider of asset management, investment processing, and investment operations for institutional and personal wealth management. Their products and services help corporations, financial institutions and individuals like you to create and manage wealth. They’ve spent more than 40 years anticipating changing market needs and creating innovative business solutions to meet the […]
investingDestination: Protecting Your Data
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Tom Licciardello, CFP
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General, Investment Management, Uncategorized, Wealth Management
Every moment of the day, both internal and external digital attacks can be made against you. How can you best guard your finances and your reputation from these threats? Review these Do’s and Don’ts to protect yourself. DO’s: ■ Protect all passwords and never share them with anyone. Longer passwords are better; avoid obvious names […]
Cliff Notes
From the Desk of Tom Licciardello, CFP Is it possible that our congressional leaders will allow us to fall off the fiscal cliff? Let’s hope calmer minds prevail and a compromise is reached. If not, what are some of the possible tax implications we face? The current Federal Income Tax rates are set to expire […]
Investors’ Lament: “No Cure for the Summertime Blues”
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Tom Licciardello, CFP
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Estate Planning, General, Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management
The Global Portfolio Strategies Group recently released its second-quarter 2012 economic outlook. A summary of its conclusions is provided below
What’s the Difference?
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Tom Licciardello, CFP
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Estate Planning, General, Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management
As a fee based financial advisor, my job is to help manage the financial affairs of my clients in a way that will give them the best opportunity to achieve their values based goals. It occurred to me that this explanation may be less clear than I thought. If a picture is worth a thousand […]
First Quarter 2012 Market and Performance Update
By: SEI Investment Management Unit
Summary
Investor confidence received a boost from continued central bank support in the U.S. and eurozone.
Equity markets gained, with risky assets among the strongest performers.
Bond market performance was held back by waning demand for government debt.
Equities rallied throughout the quarter, outperforming global bonds. Investor sentiment was generally positive and market volatility remained calm. Consequently, assets that are perceived to be riskier were favored. Measures by the European Central Bank (ECB) to support the banking system and progress toward resolving Greece‘s sovereign debt troubles fueled a hopeful outlook.
Are We Headed to Higher Inflation? When? How High?
Inflation is becoming a growing concern for investors. In the U.S. the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has fluctuated in a wide range over the past decade, and currently is running at a rate of 2.3%, slightly above the announced inflation target of the Federal Reserve. The consensus view of economists calls for a rapid moderation in headline CPI inflation. In SEI’s opinion, this forecast is optimistic.
The Rally at Six Months: Riding the Wave
Equity markets around the world have recorded a price gain of close to 20% over the past six months, and the S&P 500 has advanced more than 28% from its closing low on October 3.
Quarterly Economic Outlook
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Tom Licciardello, CFP
in
Estate Planning, General, Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management
There is no denying that the past year was a trying one for investors. Global equity markets were mostly lower. Global bond markets saw extreme volatility, with the debt of a few select countries (the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Canada, to mention the most important ones) registering the only healthy returns in an investment environment that swung from risk-on to risk-off with unnerving frequency and ferocity.
There is, however, no rest for the weary. Global financial markets remain fragile and subject to sharp moves based on the latest headlines. With Europe on the cusp of recession, China laboring through the downside of a property bubble, and the U.S. heading towards its most important election cycle in decades, there will be no quick end to the uncertainty that has made investing a difficult enterprise.
Eurozone Crisis Hits Home
As government debt problems intensify in the European Monetary Union (EMU), financial firms outside of Europe have come under increasing pressure.
MF Global, a small U.S.-based broker-dealer, recently declared bankruptcy due to its exposure to EMU government debt; another, Jefferies, has come under intense investor scrutiny. These episodes illustrate the powerful effects that fear and uncertainty can have on investor behavior and market volatility.
The larger issue is not individual firms, but the risk of contagion from Europe to the global financial system and world economy.
That Pesky European Issue…Ewww!
The European financial crisis is top of the news every day now with bailouts being structured and governments re-arranging their deck chairs in Greece and Italy. SEI’s Investment Management Unit has authored a commentary worth reading
Driving Into Second Gear
The link below will bring you to a short 7 minute presentation (prepared courtesy of SEI Investments) to advise you on our current thinking about the economic recovery so far in 2011 and some of our reasons for optimism and reasons for caution. In any case please remember that we have built your portfolio for a time like this.
August Angst
The volatility of August certainly made riding a roller coaster seem mild. The best way to deal with wild fluctuations is to keep an eye on long term goals and current cash flow needs. As your Financial Advisor, we keep a constant eye on your portfolio and structure it to give the best possible chance of realizing those goals. But, if your goals change, your allocation may need to be changed, so stay in touch!
A Wild Ride—Taking a Closer Look at Recent Market Volatility
Despite the recent volatility, our view of the markets remains intact. Strategically, the U.S. economy appears to have entered a soft patch from which it is likely to emerge without entering recession. Equity valuations appear attractive to us, and we believe Treasury prices are rich. Unfortunately, markets continue to react in an irrational fashion, and we expect them to continue to do so until the European debt situation is resolved, the U.S. debt ceiling is permanently addressed and the 2012 elections have come and gone.