November was a positive month for both stocks and bonds despite global manufacturing falling into contraction territory, zero COVID policy in China causing civil unrest, and global central banks continuing their aggressive tightening policy. However, investors looked beyond the headlines and towards the potential slowing of interest rate hikes and conclusion of the U.S. midterm elections (gridlock is back!)
While it can be tempting to cruise into the holiday season enjoying the spoils of another year gone by don’t forget to do one final check of your financial to-do list to make sure that you are getting everything out of 2022 that you can. Here is a quick list of some end-of-the-year planning tips.
October was a solid month for risk assets. All major equity markets, except for emerging markets, had strong positive returns. Fixed income returns were negative.
Both the stock and bond markets took a big move down last week dropping the major indices back to their lowest levels of 2022. This latest move was the result of persistently high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s bark and bite which has increased the probability that a recession is on the horizon. Traditional recessions are uncomfortable for everyone, and they are devastating for those directly affected by job loss or business closures but for long-term investors they tend to give way to some of the best market returns. Markets will stabilize before the real economy feels good and before the confirming data comes in. The challenge to long-term investors is to remain resilient, confident and patient so that you are in the game when the market tide turns. This has been a historically challenging year for investors; almost all asset classes have lost money year to date. We recently concluded a deep dive on our client portfolio allocations and holdings; we remain convicted to both.
August reminded us that following one’s emotions is a great way to lose money in the equity markets. Most major equity markets declined in August. 2022 has been a challenging year for a 60% equity / 40% fixed income portfolio with both losing value year-to-date.
Investing in I Bonds could help you lessen the impact of rising inflation on your savings