The Woodward Financial Advisors Blog

When markets are falling, it’s human nature to wait until things settle down. When markets are rising, people worry they’ve missed their opportunity. And when markets reach an all-time high, it’s easy to think stocks have gone up too far, too fast. Investors rationalize that there will surely be a pullback in the market, and that it makes sense to wait and invest when prices are lower. The problem is that history shows us that an all-time stock market high doesn’t tell us much about what comes next ...

With two kids currently in college and my third about to be, I think a lot about school and all the long hours and hard work needed to accomplish their goals. School, like most worthwhile pursuits, demands discipline. And honestly, it’s not that different from investing ...

April Fools! Here’s the spoiler: We have not cracked the code on market timing. And most importantly, neither has anyone else. While that may sound like an April Fools’ reveal, it’s actually one of the most important investment truths we can share. The idea that someone can consistently predict when to get in and out of the market (whether based on headlines, forecasts, or intuition) is not supported by evidence. What the data shows, time and again, is that market timing is unreliable at best, and harmful at most often.

Gold has been making headlines lately. Again! When markets feel uncertain - whether due to global events, political noise, or economic concerns - investors often start looking for something that feels more stable. Recently, that attention has turned toward gold, especially as prices have surged and conversations about “safe haven” assets have increased. This naturally leads to a common question: Should gold have a place in my portfolio?

Market declines aren’t rare events or signs that something is “broken” or “wrong.” They are a normal and recurring part of long-term investing. At some point, to some magnitude, the market will decline. It always does. And because we know this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, or a reason to panic, when it happens ...

Towards the end of each year, Woodward Financial Advisors is left eagerly anticipating news from the IRS on what 2026 brings regarding updated limits, phase-outs, and tax wrinkles that guide us. 2026 also introduces a few new rules, coming from a mix of the SECURE Act 2.0 and OBBBA.