background preloader

Bellrockcapital

Facebook Twitter

Retire with Peace of Mind | Retirement | Bell Rock Capital. Thinking About Retirement? Whether you’re getting ready to retire, or you’re just getting ahead, here’s what you need to know.As you look ahead to retirement, the idea of no longer working and earning income may have you asking a lot of questions about how to prepare for such an important change. But with the right amount of planning, life after work can be the life you’ve always wanted. By making a plan now for what you want to accomplish after you retire, you can make the most of your retirement. In fact, there are three basic steps that everyone can follow, regardless of theirincome or wealth, to simplify the transition to retirement. Identify how much income you need each month to live similar to current lifestyleDetermine your income sources (such as Social Security or pensions) and consider if it best to defer Social Security benefits, or in what order income sources should be usedPlan for risks that may alter plan, or encouragement about attaining dream goals.

What Does War in Ukraine Mean? | Blog | Bell Rock Capital. We have been watching the details in the Ukraine unfold, just as you have. We are not political theorists or commentators, so we are not going to try to give our readers a synopsis on why the developments between Russia and the Ukraine are happening. All we care about, as professionals, is solely to focus on our client’s best interest. Since the beginning of 2022, the markets have been dismal. The push-pull between inflation and waiting for the Fed to address that with raising interest rates has weighed on the markets, as have the continued supply-chain issues.

There has been a clear unfavorable attitude towards growth stocks (ie technology) and we’ve seen bond prices retreat a bit in anticipation of higher interest rates. But with the events of the last 24 hours, we believe the impact will affect all of the above, and perhaps give reason for the Fed and investors to quickly re-consider the above set in stone course we were expecting. What does that mean? The View From Bell Rock | Our Articles | Bell Rock Capital. Contact Us | Investment Management Firm | Bell Rock Capital. Our Testimonials | Investment Advisors | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Philosophy | Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. Our Team | Registered Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. The View From Bell Rock | Our Articles | Bell Rock Capital. Media Coverage | Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital.

Curated Articles | Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning | Financial Planners | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Management Firm. The Best Tips for Financial Wellness | Bell Rock Capital. For many people, the New Year is a time for personal reflection, a time to consider commitments, andresolutions for the coming year.

This year, why not resolve to make your finances a priority? With properplanning and appropriate guidance, you can begin to build financial stability and prepare for the uncertainties of tomorrow. Consider the following steps: Get Organized. The New Year offers us a fresh beginning. 5 Life Changes to Tell Your Advisor | Bell Rock Capital. The meticulous financial plan your advisor drew up is not Gibraltar, forever solid and unchanging. Altered circumstances require your plan to change, too. Here are the five life changes you should tell your advisor about: Marital Status.

The way of the world: People get married, and some get divorced. Either way, joint assets are an issue. Your advisor can walk you through what you need to know and what to plan for. When you get married, there are a host of questions. As you start your marriage, planning for its possible end seems like walking under a ladder. Whatever you decide, dividing assets is best done between the divorcing spouses, before lawyers get involved.

Becoming a Parent. As the saying goes, you not only add a child. Your advisor should provide a checklist of what you need to consider – and how you can afford it. College expenses are enormous, so getting ready early is wise. The best means of getting ready is a 529 savings plan, named after the tax code section creating it. Keep More of Your Money in Retirement | Bell Rock Capital. Too many retirement-minded individuals focus on profits when what they really should be paying attention to is the bottom line. People need to craft a strategy on how to help keep their hard-earned dollars, instead of worrying solely about returns. It’s something many people have never considered: Just by holding onto more of your hard-earned income, you could see a dramatic jump in your lifestyle and financial security.

Many people have done a great job of saving and paying off their debts. But they’ve forgotten about taxes. When it comes to 401(k)s and IRAs, many likely have not paid a dime of taxes, and the government will always want its share. Despite what you often hear, it is possible that you could have more control over your taxes and savings in retirement than at any other time in your life. There are options to avoid taking a significant tax hit, and it’s never too late to begin implementing valuable strategies available under today’s tax laws. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Retire with Peace of Mind | Retirement | Bell Rock Capital. What Does War in Ukraine Mean? | Bell Rock Capital. The View From Bell Rock | Our Articles | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning | Financial Planners | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Management Firm.

Our Testimonials | Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Philosophy | Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. Our Team | Registered Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. The View From Bell Rock | Our Articles | Bell Rock Capital. Media Coverage | Investment Advisors | Bell Rock Capital. Curated Articles | Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning | Financial Planners | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Management Firm. Our Testimonials | Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital. Our Team | Registered Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. The View From Bell Rock | Our Articles | Bell Rock Capital. Media Coverage | Investment Advisors | Bell Rock Capital.

Curated Articles | Investment Management | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning Services | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Management Firm. Financial Planning Services | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital.

Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Firm. Monetary & Fiscal Stimuli Persist | Bell Rock Capital. We are poised to finish the year with elevated market volatility due to the Presidential elections, Covid-19 phase III results, and the public negotiations of another stimulus bill. The underlying corporate and consumer positives continue to outweigh the negatives largely because the challenges have been supported by unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimuli, which is reasonable given the unique global challenges presented during the pandemic. Monetary Policy Remains Poised to Act. The Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged at its September meeting AND stated that these rates could remain into 2023. The Fed reiterated that it would allow inflation to exceed the 2% target level before increasing rates. The yield curve is extremely flat with the ten-year US Treasury bond yield standing at 0.67% and the two-year at 0.14%, versus 1.68% and 1.63% a year ago.

For comparison purposes, the S&P 500 yield stands at approximately 2.2%. Strong Commitment to Fiscal Stimulus. Strong IPO Activity. Supply Chain Control | Investment Management | Bell Rock. We were reflecting upon our view, pre-covid; Our 2020 vision is focused on macro themes which drill down into investments that will provide long-term benefits to our clients. Each year there is a lot of noise that could potentially distract people from the core long term trends. Well, we have had more than our fair share of noise that certainly is distracting.

We pivoted from the written prose to “Facebook Live” daily in March, and we continue to host weekly commentary on Wednesdays at 4:30PM – Bell Rock Capital Group On Facebook. Please join us! Monetary Policy Remains Poised to Act. The Fed aggressively lowered rates, as the health crises became acute, to near zero earlier this year from 1.50%-1.75% and here it remains. We do not expect the Fed to adopt a negative rate policy, although the US could experience flights to negativity from time to time. Strong Commitment to Fiscal Stimulus. Corporate earnings better than expected. Therapies and Vaccines Rapid Development. The Start of a New Decade | Bell Rock Capital. This was our comment to clients at the end of 2018. “A solid U.S. economy and healthy corporate profits remain at the foundation of this market which has been temporarily hijacked.” Our expectation was that the worst was largely over and when companies started reporting in the middle of January (2019), sentiment should begin an upward trajectory.

Over the last year, the broader markets have come back strong and we will place the strength of 2019 into perspective. Equity valuations have rebounded from 2018’s year-end major sell-off.. Since we have also entered a new decade, we will briefly reflect upon some of the major changes over the last decade. The conventional perspective for 2020 is that the economy may continue to slow, pressuring earnings and keeping a lid on stock prices, but what if the economy grows more than expected?

Our market perspective remains centered upon the strength of individual companies and the health of the U.S. consumer. Holding Firm on Trade. India in focus. The View from BELL ROCK - March 9, 2020 | Bell Rock Capital. We want to thank our clients for their patience and trust in us. It’s days like those we have had over the past two weeks which make our work on your behalf both challenging, and hopefully ultimately rewarding for you. We know that all of this has stemmed from the unknown of how long and how significant the coronavirus outbreak goes on.

We do think given that the rates of illnesses appear to have slowed a bit where things were worse – ie China, Italy, that it’s a good sign. Of course, as we mentioned in our last update, we expected that the Fed would proactively cut rates…and lo and behold two days after our update they did just that. Given where the 10-year treasury is now trading – which is only at about .50%–we expect that the Fed may in fact cut rates again this month. That’s what the bond markets are telling us, in fact. So yes, we did a little buying today. Please contact us if you would like to open up that savings account and take advantage of this rate. What's Been Happening In The Markets? | Bell Rock Capital. We understand this is a frustrating time for everyone. We want to try to continue to give our clients more insight into what’s happening with markets, and where we see things going. There is opportunity out there! Without the enormous CV-19 problem, we STILL would have been dealing with a big problem if it was solely the oil fight; Saudi Arabia v Russia (v US ).

The following is the flow of events over the last few weeks, so you have some background: 1. Oil production skyrockets as both nations refuse to cooperate; prices plunge; 2.This caused a dramatic US Treasury debt price volatility because certain hedges against the price of oil no longer worked; 3. 4. 5. In the last few days, the stocks markets were forming a base, and then when the oil market rolled over in the afternoon on Friday, the broader markets sank again. This morning a sizable quantitative easing, bond buying program, without limits was announced. Also keep your eye on the price of oil. Stay well! Enormous Global Liquidity to Fuel Markets | Bell Rock. We can’t hear you?! . . . You’re on mute. This new and recurring phrase for 2020 was rushed to the forefront of our daily lives like a blast of artic air in March of 2020 and remains part of our new normal.

The forceful pivot by nearly everyone in the world to make the best of an unprecedented global pandemic has been most impressive on many fronts. During the early days of COVID-19, remember that automobile factories converted to making ventilators while distillers and brewers converted to producing massive quantities of hand sanitizer, and healthcare providers waived patient costs for COVID-19 treatments. What we learned (and are learning) from COVID will not be forgotten too soon. With a budget of at least $10B to Operation Warp Speed, approximately 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses will be delivered at or close to year-end 2020. The tremendous monetary and fiscal stimuli in the US propelled money supply to record levels! How does the US stimulus compare on the global stage?

Supply Chain Control | The View From Bell Rock Capital. We were reflecting upon our view, pre-covid; Our 2020 vision is focused on macro themes which drill down into investments that will provide long-term benefits to our clients. Each year there is a lot of noise that could potentially distract people from the core long term trends. Will Inflation Be Temporary? | Bell Rock Capital. Will Inflation Be Temporary Is the Big Question Right Now In the last two months, our nation transitioned to a new President and cabinet. We’ve vaccinated more than 50 million people. And, recently we voted on a third fiscal stimulus package, The America Rescue Plan Act of 2021, valued at $1.9T. The abrupt rollback of Trump-era policies concerning oil independence, border security, and a firm stand on China.

But none of these actions seem to matter for the stock market….even the inflationary concerns. The Federal Reserve claims it will maintain an easy monetary policy for the foreseeable future; full unemployment is the target, most likely reached sometime in 2023. A year-ago, we worried with securing face masks, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. Monetary Policy – Despite Inflationary Concerns by the Broader Markets, The Fed Holds Steady The Federal Reserve continues to be in a critical economic position in 2021. Fiscal Policy – Maybe there is room for just one more? Inflation Remains a Key Question | Bell Rock Capital. Quarterly corporate earnings are poised to come in strong, resulting from increased share buybacks and a rise in M&A activity throughout the last year.

The recent positive stress test results in the banking sector supported several immediate dividend boosts and share repurchase plans from large banks (such as JPM, Citi, etc.). On the fiscal agenda, the $1T scaled back infrastructure proposal may have enough support to move forward. Meanwhile, inflationary concerns remain on our radar, as do the potential ramifications on the economy as they continue to resume to normalcy with questions on recent Covid-19 variants. Monetary Policy – The Fed Holds Firm The recent Federal Reserve meeting in June was surrounded with so much fanfare that it was almost deafening. Chairman Powell remains committed to easy monetary policy and he is confident that inflation remains temporary, influenced by the pandemic and should normalize as the economy continues to re-open throughout the country.

Who Decided for You and Me? | Advisors | Bell Rock Capital. Over the last few years, the drumbeats have gotten louder by “them” to insist that ESG issues be a focal point for investors. Before we get into our two-sided-coin-look at this concept, it is important first, to understand what ESG really means and the attempts to force this on anyone invested in public companies. According to Investopedia, ESG, or “environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, is a set of standards for a company’s operations, that investors use to screen potential investments.

Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a steward of nature. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and the communities where it operates. Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls and shareholder rights. In theory, there is nothing wrong with any of these concepts. So, what do we mean by this? Tips for Financial Wellness | Bell Rock Capital. 5 Life Changes to Tell Your Advisor | Bell Rock Capital. Keep More of Your Money in Retirement | Bell Rock Capital. Retire with Peace of Mind | Bell Rock Capital. February 24, 2022 | Investment Advisors | Bell Rock Capital. The View From Bell Rock | Our Articles | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning Services | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital.

Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Firm. 5 Life Changes to Tell Your Advisor | Bell Rock Capital. Keep More of Your Money in Retirement | Bell Rock Capital. Retire with Peace of Mind | Bell Rock Capital. February 24, 2022 | Investment Blog | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning | Financial Planners | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Firm. Financial Planning | Financial Planners | Bell Rock Capital.

Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management Services | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Firm. Monetary & Fiscal Stimuli Persist | Bell Rock Capital. Supply Chain Control | Investment Management | Bell Rock. The Start of a New Decade | The View from BELL ROCK. The View from BELL ROCK - March 9, 2020 | Bell Rock Capital. What's Been Happening In The Markets? | Bell Rock Capital. Enormous Global Liquidity to Fuel Markets | Bell Rock. Supply Chain Control | The View From Bell Rock Capital. Will Inflation Be Temporary? | Bell Rock Capital. Inflation Remains a Key Question | Bell Rock Capital. Who Decided for You and Me? | Bell Rock Capital. Tips For Financial Wellness | Bell Rock Capital. 5 Life Changes to Tell Your Advisor | Bell Rock Capital. Keep More of Your Money in Retirement | Bell Rock Capital. Retire with Peace of Mind | Bell Rock Capital.

February 24, 2022 | Investment Blog | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Firm. Media Coverage | Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. Curated Articles | Investment Firm | Bell Rock Capital. Financial Planning | Financial Planners | Bell Rock Capital. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | Bell Rock Capital. Investment Management & Advisory | Bell Rock Capital. Bell Rock Capital | Registered Investment Firm.