The Woodward Financial Advisors Blog

The change in seasons and routine is always welcome for us at Woodward. As we enjoy these crisp North Carolina mornings here at our headquarters in Chapel Hill, it is fun to think back to our recent fun-filled hazy dazy summer adventures and activities. We hope you made some enjoyable memories of your own this summer, perhaps filled with sunshine and flowers, trips, or time with family. Check out how the WFA team members spent their summer in this blog post.

2022, in no uncertain terms, was a bad year for global bond markets. After years of high prices and low yields, the rapid rise of interest rates, intended to reduce inflation, impacted the bottom line of bond investors in a historical way. Fortunately, the Fed’s approach seems to have made a sizable impact on inflation ...

When I began my financial planning degree program in 1996, it really didn’t occur to me that I was entering a male-dominated profession. My mother had always been the leader in financial decision-making in our family, which didn’t seem unusual to me at all. Through her, I learned the value of a dollar and the value of giving back. Almost three decades later, it is now the norm for women to direct their own as well as their family’s finances. In fact, two separate studies show that women’s investment returns were .4%1 to 1%2 higher annually than their male counterparts. They suggest the main reasons for women outperforming men with regard to investment returns boil down to “overconfidence” and “overactivity.

Mind over Matter: Perspective for Investors on the US Debt Ceiling -- No doubt there has been plenty of uncertainty in the last few months to keep the 24-hour news channels busy. First, it was banking issues, and now the debt ceiling. It is our innate human nature to want to take action when things happen that feel out of our control. Sometimes a little perspective can help. Below is a good piece from Dimensional Fund Advisors on this topic that we thought you’d find helpful. Enjoy!

Batten down the hatches and prepare to set sail for the gold and glory! This is the tale of a modern-day treasure hunt, embarked upon with the power of the internet. Whether you have an affinity for open waters or not, finding your very own unclaimed funds is very much a real possibility.

A month ago, the sudden collapse of two regional US banks dominated the news, bringing with it some concerns and quite a few questions from our clients. These questions, which took many forms, all boiled down to two points: is my cash protected and should I be concerned about the future of banks?