March 20, 2020—Asset allocation is about balancing risk and reward. A disciplined investment approach encourages investors to trim asset classes that have outperformed the rest of the portfolio over some period and increase the allocation to asset classes that suffer temporary underperformance, a strategy known as portfolio rebalancing. This process serves two important purposes for investors. First, it can increase potential future returns by “buying low” (i.e.
March 17, 2020 —Financial markets have experienced extreme turmoil, with the damage not limited to the equity or taxable bond market. Typically viewed as a safe haven during times of stock market duress, munis have also experienced extreme levels of volatility that surpass 2008 crisis levels and are approaching October 1987 values.
March 15, 2020 — The Federal Reserve surprised markets again and took emergency measures on Sunday night, March 15, including cutting rates to zero and a plan to purchase $700 billion worth of Treasuries and mortgages in the coming months. Late in the day the Fed announced the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) conducted an emergency meeting in lieu of their scheduled meeting later in the week.
