Articles

By Kyle Tetting I’m frequently asked, especially recently, how we know we’re in a recession. To be technical, we aren’t officially in a recession until the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) says we are in a recession. And, while GDP growth is a consideration, the NBER looks at the pace of broad economic activity over the span of months in making their determination. I bring up the technical definition as it reminds me just how irrelevant the actual pronouncement may be for our expectations.

By Joel Dresang Patience is a necessary virtue for long-term investors. It directs us to stay still instead of rushing for the exit during stock sell-offs. It cautions us to remain calm as we watch the declining value of bonds we may be counting on in the short run. […]

Between their weekly Money Talk Podcast and their annual Investment Outlook Seminar, Landaas & Company investment advisors convey a wealth of insights on financial markets and economic trends and what they mean to long-term investors. Regular multiple-choice quizzes let clients and followers test their knowledge. They also allow for deeper dives into topics, with links to…

By Joel Dresang I am part of a vanishing class of workers with so-called defined-benefit plans—company-funded accounts guaranteeing set monthly payments in retirement. There used to be more of us. My pension is from a former employer. In my age group, 1 in 10 households has a pension. That’s down from more than 6 in 10 in my father’s cohort. […]

By Kyle Tetting Earnings and interest rates. As I explained recent weakness in markets with some very patient clients in my office, those words brought me back to reality. I’d spent a few minutes opining on the actions of the Federal Reserve, the prospects of recession and the pressures of inflation. When I had finished my dissertation, my clients asked a simple question: “What are those two things Bob always told us mattered?”

The latest Money Talk Quiz includes multiple-choice questions on topics such as the inverted yield curve, the uneven performance of stock indexes and the fundamentals of long-term investing. Test your knowledge (or how much you’ve retained from our podcasts). Each answer includes links to further information. […]