by Dave Conley on May 26, 2023.
Every few years we have this discussion about whether or not we are going to raise the debt ceiling. Let’s just be honest, the debt ceiling will be raised. Since 1960, it’s been raised 78 times (more than once a year). The chart below shows the times the debt ceiling has been raised since 1970....
by Dave Conley on April 7, 2023.
As a professional investor for almost 30 years, I rely on my own experiences to help guide my investment approach. Every crisis is different, but they often have things in common. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a difficult time for many investors, with stocks and bonds experiencing significant losses. While it’s impossible to predict...
by Dave Conley on March 17, 2023.
Although there is no foolproof formula for investing success or failure there are traits that those who do well over the long term possess. As a financial planner with 25 years of experience, I have seen many investors succeed and others struggle. Through my experience, I have identified three primary characteristics or habits of a good investor and three characteristics or habits of poor investors.
by Dave Conley on February 9, 2023.
Investing can often feel like a daunting task, especially for those just starting out. But with the right approach, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling journey. One way to think about investing is to see it as following a treasure map. With every step along the way, you'll encounter challenges and obstacles, but if you keep your eye on the prize, you'll eventually reach the reward at the end.
by Dave Conley on January 6, 2023.
Predicting the direction of the market is like predicting when you will hit the bulls-eye in a dart game. The majority of the time throughout market history, the markets have been rising. History shows that the chance of your money growing in a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds is much like the odds of your next dart hitting any number on the dartboard... except the bulls-eye. If you are going to try and time the market by moving your money in and out, you have to ask yourself how confident are you that you can hit the bullseye when you do.
by Dave Conley on December 23, 2022.
Recessions are painful, no doubt about it. But they are necessary to clean out the excesses of prior growth periods... “You can’t have such a sustained period of growth without an occasional downturn to balance things out.”
by Dave Conley on December 9, 2022.
In simple terms, speculators are trying to out-smart the markets while investors simply participate in the markets. The investment time horizon is also a very important factor as speculation tends to be over the short-term while investing is over the long-term.
by Dave Conley on December 2, 2022.
The S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average are not reality. Reality is not price-to-earnings ratios and technical market studies. Symbols on the computer screen are not the real world. In the real world, companies create wealth. Stock certificates don’t. Stock certificates are simply proxies for reality.
by Dave Conley on November 18, 2022.
The general economic model of a recession is that when unemployment rises, consumers are more likely to save than spend. This places pressure on businesses that rely on consumers’ income being spent. As a result, company earnings and stock prices decline, which can fuel a negative cycle of economic decline and negative expectations of returns.
by Dave Conley on August 26, 2022.
Who do you think you’ll be in a year? 5 years? 20 years? One of the big problems with setting goals, especially financial ones, is that we’re struggle with imagining our future selves. Remember what you imagined you’d be as an adult when you were a kid. I’m guessing there are some gaps between that dream and your current reality. When we talk about financial goals, we’re often talking about long timeframes.