Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2014 and updated January 2017. A financial advisor’s job, at minimum, is to create an investment strategy based on your economic situation and goals. But that’s a bit like saying the job of a dancer is to move their body to music. Some do it better than others. A good financial advisor should take the time to get to know you and your family, and spend as much time as it takes to get a firm understanding of your financial situation, goals, retirement income needs, estate planning needs, risk tolerance, etc. The result should be a comprehensive financial plan that considers multiple outcomes and gives an expectation of how much income you can expect to have in retirement. [+] Read More

There are thousands of money managers out there. If you’re trying to figure out which one (or ones) is right for you to help you reach your investment goals, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options. Where do you begin researching and what criteria do you consider? We’d like to help. Each quarter, WrapManager’s Investment Policy Committee (IPC) compiles a list of top money manager picks in order to help investors discover and evaluate money manager strategies. These encompass a wide range of asset classes and investment disciplines. [+] Read More

Stephen Auth, CFA and Chief Investment Officer, Equities, shares his expectations for 2017 including: The effect of the Trump administration and Republican Congress Fiscal stimulus vs. structural reform A new phase for the bull market "Climbing the Wall of Hope" through 2018. A selection is provided below, or you can download the complete commentary as a PDF. [+] Read More

Global growth expectations appear to be picking up after an extended slide... BlackRock expects U.S.-led reflation (rising nominal growth, wages and inflation) to accelerate, and sees fiscal expansion gradually replacing monetary policy as an economic growth and market driver around the world. They discuss these topics, as well as the impact of technological change, the risk of a China credit bubble and the dynamics of investor risk appetite, in their 2017 Investing Outlook. Read the key points of BlackRock's analysis. Or, download the complete commentary (PDF). [+] Read More

We continue to believe investors will be well-served to focus on dividend growth. As bond yields begin to compete with equities, we recommend an ecumenical approach to equity income and growth in dividends. One of the major impediments to using stocks for yield has been the earnings recession over the last five quarters. The continuation of that trend would have undermined the stability of the dividend payout. The market, however, has now withstood the effects of a stronger dollar on multinational earnings and withstood the energy sector’s adjustment to oil at $50 per barrel. And the S&P 500 is finally growing earnings again, year over year. Read on for a summary of their analysis, or view the entire document here. [+] Read More

Investors Focus on Positives, Ignoring Negatives Investor sentiment remained skewed positive last week, helping equity markets rally sharply. The S&P 500 Index surged 3.1%, as the focus remained on prospects for better economic growth, tax reform and potential fiscal stimulus in 2017. For the week, small caps and financials led the way, while health care stocks lagged. Read an excerpt of the complete commentary below, or view the entire weekly investment commentary as a PDF. [+] Read More

Economic warming and political warnings... Short-term interest rates remain extremely low given the relative health of both the U.S. and global economies. 2017 should be a year of global economic warming but also one of growing risks. However, with cash paying less than nothing in real terms in most of the world, investors should still be overweight long-term assets, with a tilt toward those that should do best in a world with somewhat stronger growth, higher inflation and higher interest rates. [+] Read More

U.S. equity indexes hit records; U.S. dollar index surges to nearly 14-year highs. Richard Turnill, BlackRock’s Global Chief Investment Strategist, summarizes the week highlights news to watch in the week ahead. Read an excerpt of his weekly commentary below, or download the complete commentary as a PDF. [+] Read More

Daniel Peris, Ph.D., CFA and Head of Strategic Value Dividend Team, answers questions about the the Federated Strategic Value Dividend Strategy including: Overview of the Federated Strategic Value Dividend Strategy How the strategy is performing in the current rising-rate environment What is the outlook and positioning strategy over the next 3 to 6 months [+] Read More