Retirement Income Recipe

By Jeffrey R. Karp, CLU®, ChFC®, CASL®

One of the “early in life” messages we get from our parents- Get a job if you want to be able to buy things.  They did not call it an income stream but that is really what it was.  This single message formed the connection between a job and spending, which continued throughout our working career.  Some people can be driven off this message by life events like a temporary job loss or a need to care for family/friend, but there is never a question about the goal for re-employment.  The reliability of a paycheck keeps the focus on accumulating wealth not on the fear of income flow. 

Street View The Fed and a Look Ahead

LPL Research Chief Investment Strategist John Lynch offers his perspectives on the current challenges facing the markets, though he remains optimistic about U.S. economic growth prospects in 2019.

LPL Research Outlook 2019

FUNDAMENTAL: How to Focus on What Really Matters in the Markets

LPL Research believes the following three themes will be key to the markets:

• Sustaining growth via fiscal policy. We expect the ongoing impact of fiscal stimulus will be readily apparent in 2019 and that policy will continue to play an important role for the economy and financial markets—potentially extending the duration of the current business cycle.

• Creating opportunity amid rising volatility. We believe any bouts of market volatility should be embraced—not feared—by suitable investors as an opportunity to rebalance portfolios toward targeted allocations.

• Fundamentals in focus. Despite the market weakness we saw at the end of 2018, at LPL Research we expect the U.S. economy to grow in 2019 and support gains for stocks. Risks such as trade uncertainty, slowing global growth, and geopolitics do require careful monitoring, however, for their potential impact on the markets and economy.

LPL Research Midterm Perspectives

LPL Financial Chief Investment Strategist John Lynch shares thoughts on policy, market, and economic implications.

2018 Mid-Year Outlook

The Plot Thickens

by

LPL Financial Research

The LPL Research team proudly presents the Midyear Outlook 2018: The Plot Thickens, with investment insights and market guidance covering the rest of the year.

LPL Research believes the following three themes will be key to the markets over the balance of 2018:

Where is your Focus...

Return on Life or Return on Investments?

By Jeffrey R. Karp, CLU, ChFC, CASL^®

Founder/President - Karp Financial Strategies, Inc.

One of the most difficult questions we ask our clients is “Why is money important to you?”  Most people react to the question with a look that says - What a ridiculous question (and you may have just had the same look).  Take a moment to be truthful and answer the question.  Here are some of the responses that we get: 1) Having money means I can pay the bills, 2) I can buy stuff I want, 3) I can leave money for my kids.  How did you answer?  Had you ever considered this question?

Outlook 2018 - Return of the Business Cycle

Where are we in the current economic cycle? Why may fiscal support and better business fundamentals be key themes in 2018?

Midyear Outlook 2017:  A Shift In Market Control

Thus far in 2017, an important shift has taken place in this economic cycle. The Federal Reserve has shown increasing trust that the economy has recovered and that market forces can keep it steady. Fiscal policy may now provide the backstop to the economy that monetary policy has provided throughout the expansion. The gauges say growth engines and market drivers may have changed: power down monetary policy, power up business fundamentals, and potentially take fiscal policy and economic growth off standby.

First question...how many stocks are in the S&P 500 index?  Did you get the hint, hidden in the question?  Second question…through mid-April, how many stocks in the S&P 500 index accounted for over 50% of the index returns in 2017?

Post Election Ramblings

by

Burt White

CIO/Managing Director, LPL Financial

Donald Trump has completed his landmark quest and will become the nation’s 45th president after a contentious and often divisive campaign. In addition, the Republican Party has retained control of both houses of Congress. This outcome marks a significant reversal from just a few weeks ago when a Hillary Clinton presidency was highly probable and even a Democratic Party sweep of Congress was possible.

While this outcome is certainly a shock to many, it is important to remember that the result isn’t a surprise to the plurality of American voters that spoke their collective will at the ballot boxes. The strength of a democracy is not in whether we like the outcome, but rather in how we accept the result as the voice and will of our republic.