July 12, 2012
Since the end of World War II, the nations of Europe have been evolving toward unity. The most dramatic manifestation of unity came in 2002 with the adoption of a single currency (The Euro) now shared by 17 countries. The biggest obstacle to unity in …Read More
July 3, 2012
The quote below from The Social Animal by David Brooks reiterates why we do not support market timing, even in the current market environment. Although the last few months have been choppy, involving a near 10% correction in the S&P 500 Index, the …Read More
June 13, 2012
In working mostly with individual investors, we witness firsthand how people manage their investments and think about money. Most importantly, we are able to see what works and what doesn’t—the behaviors, attitudes, and decisions that make clients’ …Read More
June 5, 2012
The title for this post is misleading because Bell Investment Advisors does not recommend or invest in individual stocks. However, the popular buzz about the initial public offering for Facebook presents some important teaching opportunities. Business …Read More
May 24, 2012
Why is Benchmarking Important? Let’s begin by discussing the importance of comparing your portfolio to an index, a process known as benchmarking. It is important to have a yardstick with which to judge your portfolio’s performance. Without knowing …Read More
May 16, 2012
Volatility is inherent in capital markets. When we invest in the market, we expect volatility to play a part in our investment process; nevertheless, in times of market stress, the temptation to exit altogether is very strong. The S&P 500 moved 2% up …Read More
May 3, 2012
What is financial planning? What are the benefits of creating a financial plan? Should I be using a tax accountant instead of doing my own taxes? Why haven’t I created a will yet, and what are the benefits of a trust? How is my retirement account …Read More
April 26, 2012
Like mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) represent a share of ownership in a pool of stocks, bonds, and/or other securities. However, while they are quite similar in a general sense, there are a number of differences between ETFs and mutual funds …Read More
April 18, 2012
Mutual funds are investment companies that pool money from many different investors and invest it according to a specific strategy outlined in the mutual fund prospectus. Investors buy shares in each mutual fund and become shareholders. Mutual funds …Read More
April 10, 2012
Corporations and governments borrow money from investors by issuing bonds. Borrowers promise to pay back the loans and to pay a specific rate of interest. Bonds are often referred to as fixed income securities because the rate of interest is often fixed …Read More
April 2, 2012
The investment management and financial planning teams at Bell Investment Advisors have opened this conversation on our new blog to share relevant topics related to today’s financial world and our firm’s core strategy— Momentum for Life. Our …Read More
As December came to a close, the global equity markets added several percentage points to their …Read More
Originally Posted March 15, 2011 Back in 2011, the world was in a different form of crisis. The …Read More