Skip to main content

Year End and Year Ahead Thoughts



I hope you and your family are doing well!

We experienced a turbulent year in 2022 as global central banks, led by the U.S. Federal Reserve, tackled inflation and the global economy cooled. While we can’t know exactly when the turbulence will end, the economy and markets have already made meaningful progress toward rebalancing.

Inflation has started to recede, a process we believe will continue in 2023, even if it will likely take some time to fully return to normal. U.S. Federal Reserve rate hikes will very likely end in the first half of 2023, although rates may remain at a restrictive level throughout the year. Labor markets, which had remained tight despite high inflation, have started to loosen. Voters have even chosen a more balanced government in Washington—with a single party no longer controlling the presidency, House, and Senate.

Even as the environment remains uncertain, the ongoing process of finding a balance may be starting to create opportunities for investors. Higher interest rates bring a much improved outlook for bonds, which have not seen yields at these levels in many areas of the market in more than a decade. At the same time, segments of the stock market that had become expensive have become more fairly priced, while other segments actually look relatively cheap.

Knowing when to shift toward opportunities is also a balancing act. We need to account for the ongoing risk from inflation, a possible recession, and global conflicts; while also understanding that markets are always forward looking, and thus anticipating the changes that they may respond to.

Ultimately, we believe the best path forward for staying focused in any environment is having a thoughtful plan and the right support. Together, they can help us maintain our balance even during the most challenging market periods.

I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and the happiest of the 2023 New Year!

If you have any questions or if we can help you work towards your financial goals please let me know!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

For 25 years I have helped families work towards their financial goals!  


Please contact me at (734) 725-2119 or cyril.white@fourfinancial.com if you have any questions or if there is anything we can assist you with!  


This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. Any economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and are subject to change.  All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.  The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.   


Securities offered through LPL Financial.  Member FINRA/SIPC 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

COVID will not stop us providing unique settlement solutions using structured settlement annuities!

I hope that you are doing well! We just FINALLY completed the settlement of a case for a minor (age 17) that we were initially engaged by our plaintiff attorney client in February 2021, to provide structured settlement annuity quotes! Although the claimant was very close to the age of majority the key to the case was not giving him all of the settlement proceeds, which was over $120,000, at age 18. Having been in this business for over 20 years I cannot tell you the number of sad cases we have witnessed where the young claimant receives their settlement proceeds at age 18 only to blow through all the funds before anyone can blink and make bad decisions with the proceeds! This case involved two liability insurance carriers Liberty Mutual and Member Select. We coordinated multiple rounds of document revisions and had to have a separate set of different documents for each insurance carrier. In addition, one of the carriers would not fund the annuity until we had a fully executed court ord

Using a structured settlement annuity pre-suit

 We recently were engaged by the Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) in the case of an 11 year old boy who was struck by a care while riding his bike.  The father of the boy settled the case directly with the liability auto insurance carrier pre-suit and the GAL contacted us to ensure that the boy's settlement funds were handled appropriately. The case settled for a total of $65,000 and $59,000 was being allocated to the structured settlement annuity for the boy as follows: $5,000 paid immediately upon settlement $10,000 at age 18 $20,000 at age 21 $25,000 at age 25 $35,718 at age 30 this is total benefits of $95,718! The annuity was placed with a large life insurance company rated A+ by the A.M. Best rating agency and provided the family and GAL with the peace of mind that the young man would not receive the entire amount at age 18. In addition, due to the use of the structured settlement annuity, all of the interest gained during the payout period ($31,718 to be exact) is INCOME TAX FREE!  T

9/17/2023 Weekly Market Performance

  Here is our research department's Weekly Market Performance analysis.  If you have questions or need anything else please contact me at (734) 272-4322 or cyril.white@fourfinancial.com  U.S. and International Equities Markets Mixed The major markets ended mixed this week as the utilities and consumer discretionary sectors led while information technology lagged following Apple’s challenges in China.  Developed international equities posted solid gains this week as European stocks have witnessed their largest gain in six months after the European Central Bank (ECB) signaled an end to its hawkish monetary policy. Next Wednesday, the Federal Reserve meets concerning monetary policy and interest rates.  We believe the Federal Reserve should highlight underlying improvements within the inflation dynamic. In addition, we believe the Fed will not likely declare victory but will probably highlight the risks to growth and inflation are getting into balance. According to the AAII Sentiment