There has been much discussion in the news recently about new nominal highs in stock indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. When markets hit new highs, is that an indication that it's time for investors to cash out? History tells us that a market index being at an all-time high generally does not provide actionable information for investors. For evidence, we can look at the S&P 500 Index for the better part of the last century. Exhibit 1 shows that from 1926 … [Read more...] about New Market Highs and Positive Expected Returns
How to Respond to a Data Breach
Time is of the essence, whether your personal data has been compromised as part of a larger targeted cyberattack, or you are the victim of an individual cybercrime. You'll need to take immediate action to minimize the impacts. These are steps Scottsdale Wealth Planning recommends to clients within specified timeframes after discovering their data has been breached. WITHIN THE FIRST 24-48 HOURS Contact Scottsdale Wealth Planning by email or by telephone at 480 550-8555, regardless of … [Read more...] about How to Respond to a Data Breach
Ten Reasons to be Cheerful
Do you ever listen to the news and find yourself thinking that the world has gone to the dogs? The roll call of depressing headlines seems endless. But look beyond what the media calls news, and there also are a lot of things going right, including: The world's biggest economy, the US, has been recovering. Unemployment has halved in six years from 10% to 5%. (1) Over the last 25 years, 2 billion people globally have moved out of extreme poverty, according to the latest United Nations … [Read more...] about Ten Reasons to be Cheerful
Key Benefits of Independent Advisors
At Scottsdale Wealth Planning, we pride ourselves on being an independent registered financial advisor and fiduciary to our clients. But exactly what is an independent financial advisor, are what are some of the benefits to engaging this type of professional? Independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) are professional independent advisory firms that provide personalized financial advice to their clients, many of whom have complex financial needs. Because we are independent, we are not … [Read more...] about Key Benefits of Independent Advisors
What Is Fiduciary Advice?
Anyone searching for investment advice is undoubtedly confronted with many choices of service providers operating under titles such as certified financial planner, financial consultant, registered investment advisor, stockbroker, and insurance agent. These titles can be confusing because on the surface it is not clear whether these professionals are legally required to have a client's best interest in mind when making investment recommendations. Many investors may have read that the … [Read more...] about What Is Fiduciary Advice?