Blog

Is the Worst Behind Us?

Nick Enzweiler, CFP®

Thursday, October 6, 2022

October 6, 2022, Dear Clients & Friends, This has clearly been a challenging year for investors and – more importantly – for individual households.  Stocks and bonds are both down significantly.  Elevated food and...

The Best & Worst of Times

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, September 8, 2022

September 7, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, When Charles Dickens authored his famous opening lines in The Tale of Two Cities, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, he might as well have been referencing the...

A Very Wild Ride

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, August 4, 2022

August 4, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The last week of July was epic for market-followers.  A Federal Reserve rate hike, a much-anticipated gross domestic product (GDP) report, and the busiest week of earnings season got most of...

Weathering the Storm

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, July 7, 2022

July 7, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, As the calendar has turned to July, investors would certainly like to forget the first six months of 2022.  The first half of the year was full of surprises: sky-high inflation, the biggest...

The Bear Has Arrived

Nick Enzweiler

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

June 15, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The bear has arrived.  We are now officially in bear market territory, which is largely attributable to stubbornly high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s efforts to control rising prices...

The Bull Market is Hanging On

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, June 2, 2022

June 2, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, This has been a very challenging year for investors.  The S&P 500 Index, which measures the broad market performance of the US stock market, came dangerously close to falling into bear market...

Here Comes The Sun

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, May 5, 2022

May 5, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, As we move into spring and leave behind the last signs of a long winter, many worries remain from a chilly start to the year for the markets.  The S&P 500 Index had its worst April in more than...

We Still Have A Ways to Go

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, According to the wisdom of revered investor Sir John Templeton, who famously said "bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria”, it appears...

Navigating Uncertainty

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, March 3, 2022

March 3, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The signs of an economic recovery are hard to see right now as spring approaches, clouded by the Russian invasion in Ukraine.  Democracy is under attack and innocent lives are tragically being...

The Bumpy Road Ahead

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, February 3, 2022

February 3, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, Stocks have gotten off to a rough start in 2022.  The calendar had barely flipped into the new year, when we were all reminded that the return premium we expect to receive by investing in...

Have A Plan, Don't Predict

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, January 6, 2022

January 6, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, It is customary to begin my annual newsletter by restating our overall approach to investment advice, even in the context of a letter primarily focused on the previous year.  We are...

Holiday Resilience

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, December 2, 2021

December 2, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. While life has been challenging during the pandemic, we have a lot to be thankful for. At this time, we are especially...

Many Reasons to Be Thankful

Nick Enzweiler

Friday, November 5, 2021

November 5, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, The past year and a half have tested all of us, but overall, the economy continues to strengthen, COVID-19 trends are greatly improving, and this still relatively young bull market is alive and...

Change Brings Opportunity

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, October 7, 2021

October 7, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, Autumn is my favorite time of the year! The weather begins to cool, the leaves begin to fall, and the sports leagues are in full swing. The autumn season to me represents change. As we can all...

The Bull Market Continues

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, September 2, 2021

September 2, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, The bull market continues, with the S&P 500 Index now up seven months in a row. Stocks have remarkably gained 20% year-to-date, with the S&P 500 making 53 new all-time highs before the end of...

Six Months & Counting

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, August 5, 2021

August 5, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, Six months and counting. That is the current monthly winning streak for the S&P 500 Index. To take that a step further, this key equity benchmark has posted gains in 13 of the last 16...

Onward & Upward

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, July 1, 2021

July 1, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, As we continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2021, the economy made significant progress and the equity markets advanced noticeably higher. This special mid-year...

Gearing Up for Summer

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, June 3, 2021

June 3, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, As we move into June, a path to normalcy is coming quickly with stadiums allowing full capacity, restaurants filling up, and summer vacations in full swing. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues its...

Out of the Shadows

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, May 6, 2021

May 6, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, As the calendar has turned to May, the popular “Sell in May and Go Away” stock market cliché is getting a lot of airtime. This is the idea that the stock market tends to be weakest...

Spring Forward

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, “The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.” -Peter Lynch They say April showers bring May flowers. Well, after a lot of showers and storms over the past...

Approaching Normal

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, March 4, 2021

March 4, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, It’s now been over a year since COVID-19 first hit American shores. While the pandemic has affected everyone to varying degrees, we can all agree that everyone’s life is different today...

Stay the Course

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, February 4, 2021

February 4, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, “In the short-term, the market is a voting machine. In the long-term, the market is a weighing machine.” -Warren Buffett 2021 is under way, as our nation and the rest of the world...

Fresh Start

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, January 7, 2021

January 7, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, Happy New Year! A new year offers a welcomed turn of the calendar and a fresh start. However, it’s difficult to put 2020 completely behind us just yet because the COVID-19 pandemic still...

Powering Forward

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Dear Clients & Friends, As 2020 comes to a close, we are already looking forward to a new year—and to a world very different from the one we’re leaving behind. Areas of the economy have been damaged and may never fully...

Election Clarity

Nick Enzweiler

Monday, November 9, 2020

November 9, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, Former Vice President Joe Biden has been elected the 46th President of the United States, defeating President Donald Trump in a tight race and bringing an end to the highly contested 2020...

Election Uncertainty

Nick Enzweiler

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

November 4, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, The American people have voted, casting a record number of ballots under extraordinary circumstances, which is a testament to the enduring resilience of our democracy. Determining the outcome of...

Signs of Strength

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, October 1, 2020

October 1, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, Autumn has arrived, with students back in school, baseball playoffs beginning, and football in full swing. Life is trying to get back to as normal as possible despite the ongoing impact from...

Back to School

Nick Enzweiler

Thursday, September 3, 2020

September 3, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, Back to school this year will be different. On the one hand, like other years, it marks the end of summer, the arrival of cooler weather, kids hitting the books again, and Labor Day gatherings....

Have you ever wondered whether social media was having a positive or negative impact on our mental well-being? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a warning about the negative effects of social media on young kids and teens,...

Everybody knows about life insurance, and disability insurance covering millions through corporate plans. Health insurance is always in the news thanks to the controversy around the Affordable Care Act. But what about the forgotten...

As we quietly slip into the holiday season most of us look forward to delicious food, families reuniting, and great festivities. This is also the season when managing a family spending plan, or budget can prove challenging. You do a...

The most common way to transfer assets to your heirs is also the messiest: to have a will that is so out of date that it doesn’t relate to your property or estate, to have your records scattered all over the place, to have social...

Suppose you’re the victim of a huge natural disaster like the recent fires, Harvey, or Irma, or have experienced some more local damage, like a tree falling on your house. What are the best practices for filing a claim for the...

The fifth decade of life is a pivotal time for retirement planning and preparation. By the time you hit 50, you’re no more than two decades from your likely retirement date. That means you’re at an ideal time to revisit...

As summer winds down and we approach the fall season we thought it fitting to talk about the fall season of life, but a life lived vigorously in good health. We hear phrases like “70 is the new 50”. Should today’s...

When you invest, you make an important choice not to spend money today so that you can live better in the future, or realize your goal. Doing so, means that we have a goal or a reason to invest in the first place; if we don’t...

Do you have questions about technology? You are invited to join us for our monthly small group Tuesday Tips Educational Enrichment Series Bring your questions, a friend and plan to join us on: Tuesday, September 12th 10:00 a.m. - 11:00...

You receive portfolio performance reports every three months to six months—a form of transparency that financial planning professionals introduced at a time when the typical brokerage statement was impossible to decipher. But it...

The Value and Connection between Behavior, Estimates and Financial Planning Financial Planning is an art, not a science. The truth is that being able to live a successful financial life, and meeting your goals, is far more dependent on...

It can depend upon whom that you have named as your beneficiary! Naming a beneficiary for your retirement account is one of the most important administrative tasks that must be in good order to avoid unexpected or adverse tax...

Mercer Putney Financial Advisors is proud to have awarded two deserving East Bay senior high school students $500 college scholarships. The Walnut Creek based financial advisory firm posed the question “Is money the measure of...

The Tax Season filing deadline causes many clients to set up or contribute to their IRA. Contributions must be made before the tax filing deadline. At this point, you are about to ask me what’s that got to do with a teenage...

On Wednesday, May 17, Mercer Putney Financial Advisors was honored with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce in honor of our recent office update. We have been a long-standing member of the chamber, and...

The current bull market in stocks reached its 8th anniversary recently, and for about the last four years, professional investors and financial planners have been scratching their heads. The markets have gone up and up and up, and we...

Self-employed folks have a variety of choices to set up retirement plans for themselves and their employees. Today, we are going to talk about kinds of retirement plans that can give them the opportunity to contribute as much as $54...

What’s the best age to retire? It depends. Some people enjoy their work so much that retirement isn’t something they even want to consider. Others want to retire as soon as possible. There are a lot of factors that go into...

Would a 10% pull back really be a bad thing? There’s plenty of talk surrounding the next move in the markets. It’s no surprise. The current bull market has just celebrated its eighth anniversary. Should that leave us...

Self-employed folks have a variety of choices to set up retirement plans for themselves and their employees. Today, we are going to talk about kinds of retirement plans that can give them the opportunity to contribute as much as $54...

Medicare is a huge undertaking, and it covers a surprising number of members. These six facts should impress you---and some may help you make the most of the program, too. It’s valuable to learn a lot about Medicare so that you...

Today as I write this blog, on March 1, 2017, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,395.96. What a difference in those scary days of the first six weeks of 2016.The stock market opened down on the first day of last year, and went pretty much...

The advantages of tax-free growth, has made the Roth IRAs an increasingly popular investment vehicle to leave to children or other loved ones. But heirs won’t reap the full benefit of a Roth IRA if it isn’t passed down...

Over the last few weeks, professional financial planners have been fielding calls from clients who are asking the kinds of questions that every professional investor hates to hear. The Dow has reached (and then fallen back below) 20...

How secure are the passwords you use to access your banking or investment data? A recent article in Forbes magazine surveyed security company SplashData’s password dumps, looking for the world’s most common—and,...

Tax audits happen, but there are several things you can do to reduce your chances of being audited---and most of them are easy. It’s common for taxpayers to wonder how likely it is that their tax return will be audited, as the...

You can improve your financial health by finding and using ways to reduce your tax bill. Your income will go further if you’re paying less in taxes. Here are 10 strategies to consider: Sock away money for retirement. Traditional,...

With this blog I want to share with you a couple of articles that I believe are invaluable to healthy living. The first article that I’m sharing with you is: “Ever wonder who’s in control?”, by: Maddy Dychtwald,...

You probably know that the IRS requires you to start taking mandatory distributions from your IRA when you turn 70 1/2, even if you don’t actually need the money. But can you do a Roth conversion at that late date, and thereby...

As we review and reflect the events of 2016, my first comment is…wow, what a year. The year 2016 began with what has been termed the worst six week in equity market history—the S&P 500 Index declined more than eleven...

Donald Trump emerged as the winner last night of a hotly contested presidential campaign and will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017. The transition to a Republican presidency and...

With the presidential election only weeks away, investors may be wondering how their portfolios could be affected by the outcome of this contentions political season. High levels of stock market price volatility is a reflection of...

Chances are you’ve felt a bit discouraged by the global warning reports. On the one hand, they say that our world is in for trouble unless we make significant changes in how our global economy produces the energy it needs to...

What the Rich Pay According to studies the rich do not pay less than the middle class. This is backed up by studies by U.S. Treasury Department, Investor’s Business Daily and the Atlantic Monthly. As can be noted in the table...

Raising financially savvy children involves teaching them a variety of aspects from budgeting to planning, earning and saving. Besides giving them an understanding of the value of a dollar, teaching children about fiscal responsibility...

With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that it would have been a bad idea to sell your stock holdings after the Brexit vote; you would have locked in a 5% to 10% loss in a market that eventually trended upward to new record highs....

Behavior combined with discipline are fundamental to achieving a better life, including preparing a sound financial foundation for your retirement. This includes achieving the American Dream, however you wish it to take shape. To begin...

A common misconception we often hear is that you must have earned income (taxable) to fund an IRA, as though not having earned meant that you were out of luck either beginning or adding to a nest egg. This is a very costly myth....

As I have said many times to clients: “Timing the Market is a Losers Game.” Why should I say this, because, “market timing” to be successful requires an ability to forecast the future correctly; not only once...

We now celebrate the seventh anniversary of our post “Great Recession” bull mark. “The secret to this bull market has been its ability to embrace and relish a chronic wall of worry. From its beginning, the stock...

What is retirement planning? It has many definitions. In the world that I help and advise clients, it’s a combination of many things. It’s helping clients identify and work towards their ideal retirement goals, whatever...