It has been many months (or moons–including a super blue blood one) since I last wrote you. And in those months, there’s been several good changes and updates that may be of interest and benefit to you.
The Markets…
The stock market has been on a very gradual and smooth-sailing track of growth for nearly 9-years. In fact, 2017 was one of the least volatile years on record for the stock market 1 whereas it never dropped more than 3% 2 from peak to trough. Many people may not have noticed this climb in 2017 because, a) steady growth is not exciting, b) there weren’t many headline news articles noting this calm growth, and c) nobody complains when their investments are rising in value.
However, volatility reemerged with explosive force on February 2 of this year (which did make headline news) and continued through Tuesday February 6, the day of this writing. You may have read, listened, or watched news outlets attempting to identify the exact cause of this turning point in the markets–just as Monday morning quarterbacks do for football.
To gain a perspective from someone who understands how markets really work, take a few minutes to read a concise 3-minute description from the Chief Global Strategist of JP Morgan Asset Management, Dr. David P. Kelly, about what IS or IS NOT actually happening. This should help to put some of your nerves to ease as well as placing market movement into perspective.
New back-office operations…
Arktos Wealth Management (AWM) recently started clearing its business (brokerage platform, advising, investing, trading, etc.) through a new broker dealer called Securities America, Inc. The old broker dealer was sold and became obsolete in the 4th quarter of 2017 necessitating this move. This transition to Securities America is a welcome change that took a few months to complete but is definitely an improvement on the back-end for internal business affairs.
Financial planning client portal…
AWM has implemented a client portal to enhance the quality and accuracy of our advisory services and client relationships. This portal will become the center point for client/advisor discussions regarding the financial ambitions, goals, and well-being of our clients.
Real-time data shared between us makes every meeting (by phone or in person) a pertinent and topical conversation. I’m so excited that our new and existing clients are adopting this; it is proving to be an invaluable tool that we will continue to rely on for years to come.
Mobile access and screen sharing make using this system convenient for our clients. As privacy is a warranted concern, clients control how much they want to share with their advisor/me. The portal even has a private vault for storing your own important and sensitive files. [button color=”teal” link=”https://abm.emaplan.com/ABM/MediaServe/MediaLink?token=1c4f4ce606884d5f90cfdf74850ad657#/” size=”mini” target=”_blank” block=”false” title=”Click to learn more…”]Learn More!![/button]
Upcoming Wine and Cheese Event!…
On Tuesday, February 20th at 5:00PM, we are teaming up with a few other professionals to provide key insights on building, leveraging, and protecting your wealth in 2018 and beyond. While a glass of wine and some cheese may get you there, the knowledge and pointers you take away could help you to identify strengths and weaknesses in your current financial condition. This is a free event open to the first 30-people who reserve their spot.
Click “here” to RSVP.
Finally…
Thank you to all our clients who persevered through this past broker transition. We truly appreciate your patience and the trust you place in us. We are here to be your guide and steward through the ups and downs that make up your life. Call us if we can be of assistance!
1 The S&P 500 Index
2 FactSet, Standard and Poors, JP Morgan Asset Management