Best and Worst Days are Close

Today’s Chart of the Day comes again from Vanguard. The best and worst trading days are often very close. Usually, when there is a large swing one way, more often than not, the next day swings in the opposite direction. This is why we often do not get too excited when it happens. In fact, when cash needs to be invested or raised for spending, these are usually great days to do so.

Vanguard proved this with today's chart.

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30 Days Equal Half The Return

Today’s chart comes from Vanguard. They wrote a great short article on the difficulties of market timing.  In a nutshell, "from 1928 through 2021, there were more than 23,300 trading days in the U.S. stock market. Out of those, the 30 best trading days accounted for almost half of the market’s return."

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Prediction for Year End

When asked to predict where the market will be at year end, here are my thoughts:

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1% Makes a Difference

The two Charts of the Day are from Michael Kitces and show the value of a $100,000 portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds after 30 years with a 4% and 5% initial withdrawal rate. These comments come from Rich Emch, CFP^®, Senior Trust Officer.

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5 Things to Know About Balloon Payments for Commercial Loans

A balloon payment is a lump sum payment that is significantly larger than the monthly payments and paid at the end of a loan’s term. Unlike loans that have a series of fixed payments to pay off the balance of the loan, a loan that includes a balloon payment is made up of lower fixed payments and a final larger payment. 

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Fixed Income ETFs for the Win

Today’s chart comes from VettaFi. Fixed income exchange traded funds (aka ETFs) have taken in over $1 trillion in assets over the last seven years, and only had three months of outflows.

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Crews Family of Banks: Community Banking With a History of Trust

What are you looking for in a bank? We’re willing to bet it’s not long lines, advisors who tell you what to do without listening to your needs, or lengthy call menus to navigate when you need help. Crews Bank & Trust has been around long enough to know what you want in a community bank, and we’re committed to providing that personalized service to each of our clients.

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Hold On To Catch the Upside

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Recessions are Painful; Expansions are Powerful

This chart comes from the Visual Capitalist. Since 1950, the average economic expansion lasts 67 months. The average recession, though painful, only lasts 11 months.

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Small- and Mid- vs. Large-Cap Stocks

As of today, small- and mid-cap stocks on a year-to-date basis are performing better than their large-cap counterparts by 3% and 2%, respectively.

There is an ebb and flow but going all the way back to 1994 small- and mid-cap stocks have outperformed large-cap stocks by an annual 0.66% and 1.49%, respectively. Financial theory supports, and so far this year it is also true, that when you add them to your portfolio they lower your risk due to the additional diversification.

Since this follows our motto of obtaining the “highest returns, for the least amount of risk,” we include small- and mid-cap stocks in all our portfolios.

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The "Chiclets Chart"

One of our clients calls this the “Chiclets Chart” because of its resemblance to that classic brand of candy-coated chewing gum.

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Active vs. Passive Funds

Today’s chart from Morningstar shows annual net flows into passive funds (in purple) vs. active funds (in orange), and their dominance for the last 11 years.

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8 Qualifications to Meet SBA 7(a) Loan Requirements

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) helps small businesses lock in funding by setting guidelines for loans and reducing lender risk. SBA loan programs provide financial support to small businesses by helping build capital, recover from disasters, purchase real estate, and more.

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What’s the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?

Estate planning is an important subject that almost everyone—but especially older people—needs to address. Many believe that estate planning is for those with substantial means. However, estate planning determines how an individual’s assets are preserved, distributed, and managed, so even people with assets limited to a residence, bank accounts, and a retirement plan need to form a plan. 

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The Answers to 4 Frequently Asked Questions About Roth IRAs

If you have typed your questions about Roth IRA retirement plans into Google, you have most likely come across articles from the IRS that detail the retirement plans in ways that aren't exactly reader friendly. 

Sometimes, the easiest way to understand Roth IRA retirement plans is to have a question and answer session with a knowledgeable source. Consider this blog post one of those “conversations.” 

Here are four frequently asked Roth IRA questions and answers.

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