One way to gauge the impact of interest rates on bond prices is to calculate the duration* of a bond or bond portfolio. Duration is expressed in years and can be used to calculate the...
Michael C. Stalker
Individual client returns ranged from 2.9% to 12.2% for the year. These asset value increases compare with 16% for the S&P 500 (stock index) and 4.2% for the Barclays Capital...
Michael C. Stalker
The expectation of economic recovery has investors breathing a sigh of relief, and the stock market (S&P 500) has rebounded 19 percent over the first three quarters of this year. Yet...
Michael C. Stalker
Over the past year, we have added an equity subadvisor to many of our clients’ portfolios for those accounts over $1 million. In doing so we asked our clients if they wanted to apply...
Michael C. Stalker
After stunning first quarter returns (up 12%), stocks1 lost 3.3% in the second quarter, yet they remained up 8.3% for the year (through June 30). By comparison, first quarter client...
Michael C. Stalker
Note: The following is written for those who live in non– community property or non–marital property states. If you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada,...
Jeffrey B. Yamada
During the quarter, MCS cautiously expanded its stock buying, depending on client circumstances. The move into stocks had been planned for months and was not a result of trying to...
Michael C. Stalker
If MCS clients’ assets were one big portfolio, performance year to date was up 5.5% through September 30.
Individual client returns ranged from 2.4% to 11.3% year to date. These...
Michael C. Stalker
Of Warren Buffett’s many famous quotes, his rules for investing stand out:
Rule 1 – “Don’t lose money”
Rule 2 – “Never forget Rule Number 1”
Buffett’s rules...
Jeffrey B. Yamada
Municipal Bonds Play Foil to State Budget Crisis
MCS Financial Advisors has purchsed for its clients taxable and tax-exempt bonds from a diverse array of California municipalities....
Michael C. Stalker