Benchmark Brief

The Dog Days of Summer were on full display this past month, as a variety of concerns pushed stocks and bond yields lower. After reaching new record highs in late July…

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, The recently released LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2015 publication contains the insights and guidelines to put together portfolio strategies for the rest of 2015. Few things can dampen the excitement of seeing the delivery of a...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, The beginning of April has kicked off the 2015 baseball season, as well as the release of economic data for first quarter 2015. So far this season, games have shown a nearly record low number of runs. While the start of the season may...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, With any investment approach, it is crucial to have a plan, and at the bedrock of any investment plan is to have a well-diversified portfolio among various asset classes. The rationale behind diversification is to mitigate risk, as you...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, Happy New Year! The Hollywood blockbuster Back to the Future, released 30 years ago in 1985, has been garnering some headlines lately because its sequel, Back to the Future II, was set mainly in 2015. Although some of the film's...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, Looking ahead to 2015, we see a year that will be marked by transitions. Likely changes in monetary policy around the world, the return of volatility and the recent shift in the political balance of Congress could mean 2015 is a year...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, Oil prices may be turning into the Grinch of this holiday season. Oil has dropped by more than 40% in just the past three months and contributed to volatile stock markets. We do not believe the sharp drop in oil prices is a sign of...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, The months of polls, punditry and posturing are finally over. After months of uncertainty and waiting, the midterm elections are done, and there is a resolution. As expected, the Republican Party regained control of the U.S. Senate and...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, We do not believe the volatility seen in recent weeks is immediate cause for alarm when viewed in the context of historical trends. There is precedent for moves of this magnitude - both up and down - that have taken place during an...

Dear Friends and Valued Clients, August is a time when many of us plan vacations with family and friends in order to reconnect.  The recently released report on second quarter economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), shows the U.S. economy is also...