Not even the sharpest living minds on investing have a good clue what’s coming next. Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffett admitted in May that he had been “wrong” about interest rates. Global investors continue to struggle in the quest for signs of what the future will look like – for interest rates, for China, for energy, for Greece. It’s an enigma everywhere, making the financial markets one of today’s greatest mysteries. Bruce Thompson spies the real culprit in the recent market decline.

The market has been brutal over the last few days as concerns over China, fed rate hikes, and commodity weakness have invoked worries that haven’t been felt so acutely since 2011 during the Eurozone crisis, and conjuring up bad memories of 2008. 

Considering renting your second home for income?  Make sure you give it sufficient thought and discuss with your financial advisor...

Money can create the potential for disagreement among all couples.  Here is a great checklist to place and keep you both on the same page: 

The famous marshmallow test conducted in the 1960's showed that we have a hard time resisting instant gratification, even if we know that delaying gratification would lead to an even bigger reward. This, in short, is what makes investing and managing businesses so hard. Success requires many qualities, but conviction, discipline and thinking long-term must rank near the top....

Please welcome Jordan Gentile as the newest member of Thompson Wealth Management's team. 

Market Focus: Value and Dividend Stocks out of Fashion

As a style of investing, dividends have under-performed the market recently. Portfolios with an equity income emphasis have lagged the market in the last couple of years. While frustrating in the short run, the longer term picture tells a different story: focus on fundamentals, not trends. In fact, we can exploit trends – not by chasing them, but by faithfully diversifying and rebalancing.

By Marley Jay and Steve Rothwell  Associated Press July 21, 2015

NEW YORK — Investors are running out of reasons to own gold.

The price of the metal, which is often seen as a hedge against inflation and a weak dollar, slumped to its lowest in five years on Monday.

Benchmark Returns June 30, 2015

We wish you a happy and healthy 4^th of July weekend. Here’s hoping that you spend the next few days thinking more about barbecues and bottle rockets than the ongoing fireworks in Greece and investment markets.

"I would never join a club that would have me as a member." Groucho Marx

What do your financial and charitable assets have in common? Both can generate additional dollars--if invested with care. 

This article was written by Dr. Meir Statman. Professor of finance at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business.

 Investment Review June 2015

The Concept of Time Diversification

 To support our planning and investment collaborations, we’ve set up a new website with a new Private Client Center.  We hope you’ll take a few minutes to log in and explore the site and the many exciting features.

Asset allocation -- the mix of cash, bonds and stocks in a portfolio -- determines the spectrum of returns you will experience. Here's a great insight from Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard...

Want to assist your kids or grandkids on the path to their own financial freedom?  Here's a way to help them take the first step... First Portfolio

The Fidelity Investments business that manages money designated by clients for charitable giving said assets grew to $14.6 billion last year, a 21 percent increase over 2013.

This interview with Dan Fuss, who has managed Loomis Bond Institutional to a 9.7% annual return since opening it 24 years ago, appeared in Forbes, May 25, 2015 issue.