At the end of March, a rare celestial event occurred – the visible alignment of five planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Uranus). What made this such a remarkable occurrence is the number of planets involved (the next alignment featuring this many planets won’t be until 2040) and the visibility of Uranus, one of the most challenging planets to spot with the naked eye.
While there are many mysteries of the cosmos yet to unravel, this planetary alignment demonstrates the predictable and natural order that governs heavenly bodies. Similarly, the wild swings of markets appear random and unpredictable. But in hindsight, they seem more predictable (if only we had looked in the right place, at the right time, with the right amount of rigor). But, if the past year has taught us anything, it’s that despite our best efforts, the financial world can always keep us guessing. We’ve seen stock markets soar-fall-soar again, cryptocurrencies crash, and lack-of-confidence-inspired bank runs. March was no exception.
Despite significant fluctuations, by the end of the month, the S&P 500 closed up 3.76%.
Just as we recognize that there are things we don’t yet fully understand about the universe, there are plenty of observable things that we have figured out (like the movement of planets). The vast combination of ever-changing events that move markets can be equally challenging to understand; still, there are solid principles that we have observed over time that investors would do well to adhere to. Risk drives reward, but not in a straight line. Over short periods, wild fluctuations can make it hard for investors to stay focused. However, time has a way of smoothing the highs and lows of the ride, so the long-term investor who can stay disciplined through the tough times stands to reap the rewards.
Articles of Interest
When Headlines Worry You, Bank on Investment Principles
On Friday, March 10, regulators took control of Silicon Valley Bank as a run on the bank unfolded. Two days later, regulators seized control of a second lender, Signature Bank. With increasing anxiety, many investors are eyeing their portfolios for exposure to these and other regional banks. Rather than rummaging through your portfolio, and looking for trouble when headlines make you anxious, turn to your investment plan instead. While every investor’s plan differs, ignoring headlines and focusing on the following time-tested principles may help you avoid making shortsighted missteps.
22 Legal Secrets to Reducing Your Taxes
With taxes due this month, reducing your overall tax bill is on many investors’ minds. Fortunately, there are a number of completely legal ways to lower the amount you pay the taxman each year. These include credits, deductions and advanced investment strategies. Some tax savings are only available to small business owners or the self-employed, while other options can be used by everyone.
Estate Planning Checklist: A 7-Step Guide to Getting Your Affairs in Order
Estate planning is the process of designating who will receive your assets in the event of your death or incapacitation. Often done with guidance from an attorney, a well-constructed estate plan can help ensure that your heirs and beneficiaries receive assets in a way that manages and minimizes estate taxes, gift taxes and other tax impacts.
FAFSA Simplification: What You Need To Know
The Department of Education announced that this year’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will come out in December, not October. That’s to accommodate the numerous changes that need to be implemented, not just by the Department of Education but by colleges, state education departments, and other entities that use FAFSA data. So here is a quick review of what you should know.
The Best Places to Visit Where the Dollar is Strong
With inflation hiking prices worldwide, there are still places where your dollar will stretch enough to make it a dream vacation destination. From the Americas and Europe to Africa and Asia, here is a list of the ten best places to travel to where the U.S. dollar is the strongest.
Advisory services offered through KCPAG Financial Advisors LLC and insurance services offered through KCPAG Insurance Services LLC, subsidiaries of Kemper Capital Management LLC. Tax services offered through Kemper CPA Group LLP.
Symmetry Partners, LLC, is an investment advisory firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm only transacts business in states where it is properly registered, or excluded or exempt from registration requirements. Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission.
No one should assume that future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, product, or non- investment related content made reference to directly or indirectly in this newsletter will be profitable. You should not assume any discussion or information contained in this email serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice. Symmetry does not provide tax or legal advice and nothing either stated or implied here should be inferred as providing such advice. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions.
Investors cannot invest directly in an index. Indexes have no fees. Historical performance results for investment indexes do not reflect the deduction of transaction and/or custodial charges or the deduction of an investment management fee, the occurrence of which would have the effect of decreasing historical performance results. Actual performance for client accounts will differ from index performance.
S&P 500 Index represents the 500 leading U.S. companies, approximately 80% of the total U.S. market capitalization.
