The Woodward Financial Advisors Blog

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.

As Halloween approaches, it’s not just ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night that can give us a scare. For many, the real fright comes from the financial worries, including whether they’re saving enough, how market swings might impact their future, or what unexpected costs could creep in. However, there is good news! With the right planning, these financial “ghosts” don’t have to haunt you. Let’s shine a light on a few common fears and how to keep them from lurking in the shadows of your financial plan ...

Flashback to April 2, 2025, the global markets are reacting to the Liberation Day tariffs and are at the start of, what we now know was, a drop of $10 TRILLION in global market value ... Due to the magnitude of the market changes, your team at Woodward Financial Advisors assembled quickly and decided it was time to review all client portfolios for trading and rebalancing opportunities. So, I ask a simple question that I encourage you to briefly consider before reading on; did WFA engage in marketing timing?