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
Out of the Matrix: Part 2
It's a great big world out there. At Scottsdale Wealth Planning, we build well diversified, global portfolios as the cornerstone of our long-term wealth plans. And each spring when the latest Dimensional Funds Matrix Book is released, our commitment to this approach is further confirmed. In today's video, DFA VP Joel Hefner uses Matrix Book data to illustrate the importance of global diversification and discipline by comparing the historical performance of US and emerging markets stocks over … [Read more...] about Out of the Matrix: Part 2
Out of the Matrix: Part 1
There's an exciting buzz around the office whenever the new Dimensional Fund Matrix Books are delivered. The books themselves are beautiful: Page after page of mesmerizing returns data, large enough to share comfortably around a conference table. As we flip the pages, endless opportunities present themselves to discuss the benefits of global diversification and the value of balanced investment portfolios. Over the course of the next week, we'll be presenting a few of those discussions and … [Read more...] about Out of the Matrix: Part 1
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?