The Woodward Financial Advisors Blog

My first job in financial planning started in 2000, at the end of the bull market of the 1990s and you guessed it after the dot com bubble burst! What followed that burst was about ten years of underperformance of the U.S. vs. International stock market. However, currently the US Stock Market (S&P 500) has been outperforming the Broad International Market (MSCI World ex USA) for thirteen years. These fluctuations are normal and historical data shows that different markets often take turns leading in performance.

There are many reasons to love spring - the temperatures are warming, the flowers are blooming, and the daylight is getting a bit longer each day. Oh yeah, and college basketball's March Madness is in full display (especially here in Woodward's home office on Tobacco Road where the Triangle area of North Carolina has three teams still competing in the Sweet 16)! Speaking of basketball, we think you'll enjoy this timely piece by the CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors, David Booth, as he talks about what drives the stock market, using March Madness as the backdrop.

Many people start out managing their own investments. But as their earnings and assets grow, their financial needs and challenges become more complex—and continuing to go it alone could prove costly in terms of investing miscues. Consider three common mistakes that can reduce returns and increase anxiety ...

When faced with uncertainty, we understand the natural human reaction to worry. An example of uncertainty in 2024 is the upcoming Presidential election. Our political elections in the U.S. have become very polarizing, with each side thinking that if the other party wins then our country (and economy and stock market and you name it…) will crumble. So, is that a reason to worry?

As we start this new calendar year, for many it’s the time for resolutions, predictions, and all sorts of other January traditions. There are those resolutions that we can all agree seem like good ideas – exercise more, eat healthier, go to bed earlier, read more books, etc. You know the drill. And then there are the predictions that may seem like fun, and even bring out one’s competitive spirit, but at the end of the day just really don’t matter.

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 ...