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What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the investment world or concepts from the financial industry, you can read about it here. And once in a while, we may throw in a movie review or some other surprise. So keep checking in. We’re glad to have you reading along.

 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Financial markets lived up to their reputation during the month of August, which has a record for being difficult. On the first day of August, markets had to contend with a downgrade of U.S. long-term debt by the rating agency, Fitch....

 

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The market is pricing in an increasingly optimistic outlook, but the economy still faces challenges that will likely lead to slower growth in the second half — and perhaps even a mild economic contraction. So why stay invested? 

 

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

https://www.lpl.com/news-media/research-insights/lpl-research-midyear-outlook-2023-the-path-toward-stability.html 

 

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

As we finalize the log on the first six months of 2023, we believe there’s value in reflecting on recent months gone by. Doing so can help crystallize key learnings and help chart a course through the rest of the year. Looking...

 

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

With the debt ceiling drama behind us, markets will likely return their attention to topics such as inflation, the health of the economy, and the Federal Reserve (Fed)—who is scheduled to meet June 14-15...

 

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Thursday, May 4, 2023

Spring is often thought of as an uplifting time, marked by growth and renewed hope as we emerge from the long months of winter and look ahead to the rest of year. Investors saw signs of such renewed hope in recent weeks, especially on...

 

Monday, April 24, 2023

 

Monday, April 24, 2023

 

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

The financial markets’ resilient performance during March was striking, despite pockets of uncertainty surrounding the strength of the economy—and not to mention concerns over the durability of the banking system...

 

Monday, March 13, 2023

Financial markets were shaken last week as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group (SIVB), fell into FDIC receivership. SVB is the first FDIC-insured institution to fail since 2020 and the...

 

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Financial markets have experienced quite a bit of change this year in just two short months. We started the year hopeful that stocks would benefit from a better economic and monetary policy environment by the spring, but...

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

When we look back on 2022, it’s easy to identify the challenges—but if we look closer, we can also uncover some opportunities. So what does all of this mean for 2023—and where are these opportunities?

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

JOHN B. PETRICK RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF LPL FINANCIAL’S TOP FINANCIAL ADVISORS  Los Angeles, CA — January 31, 2023 – John B. Petrick, senior managing director at Perennial Financial Services and an independent LPL...

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

BRADLEY B. HARRIS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF LPL FINANCIAL’S TOP FINANCIAL ADVISORS  Los Angeles, CA — January 31, 2023 – Bradley B. Harris, managing director of retirement planning at Perennial Financial Services and...

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

BEN LAWLER RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF LPL FINANCIAL’S TOP FINANCIAL ADVISORS  Los Angeles, CA — January 31, 2023 – Ben Lawler CPA, *Attorney, Financial Planner & Stockbroker, an independent LPL Financial advisor at...

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

MICHAEL FULLER RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF LPL FINANCIAL’S TOP FINANCIAL ADVISORS  Arroyo Grande, CA — January 31, 2023 – Michael Fuller, an independent LPL Financial advisor at the Central Coast office of Perennial...

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

CHRISTOPHER NOWAKOWSKI HONORED AS ONE OF LPL FINANCIAL’S TOP FINANCIAL ADVISORS Los Angeles, CA — January 31, 2023 — Christopher Nowakowski, senior managing director at Perennial Financial Services and an...

 

Friday, January 6, 2023

The beginning of a calendar year is often the time when the previous year’s reflections transition to a new year’s hopes. Given the market’s continued instability during 2022 and a resulting tough period for stock and bond prices...

 

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Through all the challenges, newfound opportunities, and every high and low we’ve experienced during the last couple of years, it’s no surprise why we might be striving for more balance. Whether it’s about the markets...

 

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

 

Monday, December 5, 2022

Perennial Financial Services, a national hybrid RIA with offices throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as Arroyo Grande, Boise, Idaho, and Arizona, today announced the merger of Ford Financial Group, a hybrid RIA based in Fresno

 

Thursday, November 3, 2022

October is now behind us and it has delivered on its track record as a historically favorable month for stocks, offering some respite for investors as major equity indices rose for the month. The downside pressure on equities had...

 

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

First, we want to acknowledge the tremendous damage and displacement caused by Hurricane Ian. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this devastating storm.This has clearly been a challenging year for households. Stocks and bonds are...

 

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

In the last several weeks, we have continued to face elevated uncertainty in financial markets due to high inflation and rising interest rates, and we thought it was an important time to take stock with the final quarter of 2022 just...

 

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

When it comes to stock market performance, August was “the best of times, and the worst of times.” The strong market rally that peaked in mid-August was viewed by many analysts as a transition from a bear to bull market,...

 

Thursday, August 18, 2022

You likely have never heard of a Coogan Account unless you have a minor working as an actor or you are involved in the entertainment industry. Even if you have heard of it, I doubt you know the history that led to the creation of this...

 

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Last week was epic for market-watchers. A Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike, a much-anticipated gross domestic product (GDP) report, and the busiest week of earnings season got most of the headlines. There was even a surprise out of...

 

Thursday, July 28, 2022

 

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

We expect the U.S. economy to grow in 2022 and also eek out growth in 2023. Annual growth rates may mask some of the intra-year economic activity which could be quite volatile.

 

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

As the calendar has turned to July, investors would certainly like to forget the first six months of 2022. However, the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday does bring with it reason for celebration. Not only is it the 246th...

 

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

A bear market is officially here thanks largely to stubbornly high inflation. For many of us, it has probably felt like a bear market for a while now, but the S&P 500 Index didn’t close more than 20% below its January 3 record...

 

Thursday, June 2, 2022

The bull market that began in March of 2020 came dangerously close to an end. From March 23, 2020 through January 3, 2022, the S&P 500 Index gained 114% (excluding dividends). From that January 3 closing high through the recent low on...

 

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

2022 has been a challenging year for investors so far. The S&P 500 Index just had one of its worst Aprils in decades, and May is off to a rocky start. Bond investors have not fared much better as rising interest rates have pushed down...

 

Monday, May 9, 2022

"It’s been a very tough start to the year with both stocks and bonds down sharply. Adding to the “wall of worry” for investors are the highest levels of U.S. inflation in decades, an aggressive Federal Reserve (Fed),...

 

Thursday, May 5, 2022

As we move into spring and leave behind the last signs of a long winter, many worries from a chilly start to the year for markets, unfortunately, are still with us. The S&P 500 Index had its worst April in more than 40 years, leaving...

 

Thursday, April 28, 2022

It has been a turbulent 2022 so far for investors. The S&P 500 Index is on track for its worst April in more than 40 years, the Nasdaq entered a bear market on April 26 with its more than 20% decline, and bonds, which typically provide...

 

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

 

Thursday, April 7, 2022

“Bull markets are born on pessimism, grown on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria.” - Sir John Templeton According to the guidance of revered investor Sir John Templeton, it appears to us that this market...

 

Thursday, March 3, 2022

he green shoots are hard to see right now as spring approaches, clouded by war in Ukraine. Democracy is under attack and innocent lives are tragically being lost. But while we keep one eye on overseas developments, the other remains...

 

Thursday, February 24, 2022

 

Thursday, February 3, 2022

 

Thursday, January 6, 2022

With the New Year comes new beginnings, new goals, new challenges, new friendships, and new opportunities. 2021 was an incredible year for the economy and investors, but to us the future remains bright for 2022 and beyond...

 

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

 

Thursday, December 2, 2021

We hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. While life has been challenging during the pandemic, we have a lot to be thankful for. At this time, we are especially grateful for COVID-19 vaccines and...

 

Thursday, November 4, 2021

The past year and a half have tested all of us, but overall, the economy continues to strengthen, COVID-19 trends are greatly improving, and this still relatively young bull market is alive and well. As the leaves turn colors and begin...

 

Thursday, October 7, 2021

One constant in life is change. During the past year and a half, we have experienced more change than any of us bargained for. Change is disruptive—but also brings opportunities. For investors right now, there is no shortage of...

 

Thursday, September 2, 2021

The bull market continues, with the S&P 500 Index now up seven months in a row. Stocks have impressively gained 20% year-to-date, with the S&P 500 making 53 new all-time highs before the end of August—another new record. All of...

 

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Six months and counting. That is the current monthly winning streak for the S&P 500 Index. To take that a step further, this key equity benchmark has posted gains in 13 of the last 16 months—dating back to the March 2020 low....

 

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

 

Thursday, July 8, 2021

In the first half of 2021, the U.S. economy powered forward faster than nearly anyone had expected. Speed can be exhilarating, but it can also be dangerous. In our view, the overall economic picture remains sound and will likely...

 

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

 

Thursday, June 3, 2021

As we move into June, a path to normalcy is coming quickly with stadiums allowing full capacity, restaurants filling up, and summer vacations in full swing. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to recover remarkably quickly and the...

 

Thursday, May 6, 2021

As the calendar has turned to May, the popular “Sell in May and Go Away” stock market cliché is getting a lot of airtime. This is the idea that the stock market tends to be weakest between May and October (and...

 

Thursday, April 1, 2021

“The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.” Peter Lynch They say April showers bring May flowers. Well, after a lot of showers and storms over the past year, flowers are starting to bloom and...

 

Thursday, March 4, 2021

It’s now been over a year since COVID-19 first hit American shores. While the pandemic has affected everyone to varying degrees, we can all agree that everyone’s life is different today than it was a year ago. It’s...

 

Thursday, February 4, 2021

“In the short-term, the market is a popularity contest. In the long-term, the market is a weighing machine.” Warren Buffett 2021 is under way, as our nation and the rest of the world look to begin to put the global pandemic behind us...

 

Friday, January 8, 2021

Happy New Year! A new year offers a welcomed turn of the calendar and a fresh start. However, it’s difficult to put 2020 completely behind us just yet because the COVID-19 pandemic still presents a significant threat. Healthcare...

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

More than most years, it’s hard to look ahead to the next year, to 2021, without looking back at 2020. A global pandemic, a massive economic collapse, a bear market, a surprisingly sharp reversal, a hotly contested election where...

 

Thursday, December 3, 2020

As 2020 comes to a close, we are already looking forward to a new year—and to a world very different from the one we’re leaving behind. Areas of the economy have been damaged and may never fully recover, but other areas...

 

Thursday, November 5, 2020

The American people have voted, casting a record number of ballots under extraordinary circumstances, which is a testament to the enduring resilience of our democracy. Determining the outcome of our elections is a process, but it...

 

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Autumn has arrived, with students back in school, baseball playoffs beginning, and football in full swing. Life is trying to get back to as normal as possible despite the ongoing impact from COVID-19. While the number of new daily...

 

Thursday, August 6, 2020

The battle versus COVID-19 continues. The spread in some of the recent hotspots like California and Florida is slowing, while states in the Northeast and Midwest are now experiencing increases in cases. According to the World Health...

 

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

We are at the midpoint of 2020, and it would be an understatement to say it’s been a challenging year so far in the United States and around the world. We’ve faced health, social, and economic crises that continue to impact...

 

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The July Fourth holiday will be very different this year. Although it’s a time to enjoy family and friends, and maybe even watch some fireworks, social distancing and a new wave of COVID-19 cases also may take a seat at the...

 

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

As we look ahead to the summer months, we can’t help but think what a challenging year it’s been so far. At the same time, we’re encouraged by the resiliency and accelerated innovation among US businesses and the...

 

Friday, May 22, 2020

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald The economic struggles in our country are among the worst we’ve ever seen. In April, a record 20 million people lost their jobs, and 36...

 

Monday, May 11, 2020

Investors like labels for the economy and financial markets—many of them with the word “great” in them. The Great Depression. The Great Recession. The Great Lockdown. Well, we’ve moved into what we might call...

 

Monday, April 27, 2020

Congratulations to our Managing Director of Insurance and Estate Planning Strategies - Dane Streeter, for his 12 years of excellence with Perennial Financial Services!

 

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” — Lou Holtz, Hall of Fame football coach As the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic continues, how we respond to it will determine how we beat it....

 

Thursday, April 9, 2020

These are challenging times, and this week may be the toughest as we wait for COVID-19 to reach its peak in the United States. As the war against COVID-19 wages on, we continue to be inspired by the tremendous bravery shown by...

 

Thursday, April 2, 2020

“Every decade or so, dark clouds will fill the economic skies, and they will briefly rain gold. When downpours of that sort occur, reach for a bucket.” —Warren Buffett The battle with COVID-19 rages on, and the...

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

The world continues its battle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which now has likely impacted, either directly or indirectly, nearly every person on Earth. This is far more than just a health crisis—this is a human crisis. Its...

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Delivering the Support and the Financial Guidance You Need We know that these can be frightening times, but we want to assure you that one thing you don’t need to worry about is us supporting you through them. We are committed...

 

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Fears over the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) have gripped the country and sent stocks in the US and around the world into bear markets. Thursday’s nearly 10% and Monday's nearly 12% declines in the S&P 500 Index were some of...

 

Friday, March 6, 2020

It’s been a tough week. The number of coronavirus cases have continued to increase globally, and new cases have been confirmed in the United States. Countries are making progress with containment, but those efforts also have...

 

Monday, February 24, 2020

Congratulations to our Managing Director of Retirement Planning - Brad B. Harris, AIF®, for his 13 years of excellence with Perennial Financial Services!

 

Friday, December 6, 2019

Hindsight is 20/20, but finding clarity in future uncertainty can be fuzzy. AT LPL RESEARCH, as we look forward to the year 2020 and a new decade, some key trends and market signals will be important to watch, including progress on U.S...

 

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

July 2, 2004 was a Friday, under the sign of Cancer. The US president was George W. Bush. In that special week of July people in the US were listening to Burn by Usher. The Bourne Supremacy, directed by Paul Greengrass, was one of the...

 

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Click Here To Read The Entire Outlook

 

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Trade tensions have interrupted an unusually calm year in U.S. stocks. In May, the S&P 500 Index fell from an April 30 record high as the United States and China failed to reach a trade deal and escalated tariff tensions. The United...

 

Thursday, February 21, 2019

 

Thursday, October 25, 2018

October has been a rough month for equities, but then again it’s historically been one of the most volatile periods of the year. “October is known for volatility, and we’ve sure seen it so far,” explained Senior...

 

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The volatility that is often associated with the month of October has arrived with the market sell-off on Wednesday, October 10. Experiencing market declines and increased volatility can be unnerving for any investor, but if we can...

 

Friday, December 15, 2017

Where are we in the current economic cycle? Why may fiscal support and better business fundamentals be key themes in 2018? Hear from LPL Financial's Chief Investment Officer Burt White and Chief Investment Strategist John Lynch in LPL...

 

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

At the midyear point of 2016, LPL Research proposes a vote of confidence: in the economy, the market, and most importantly, in our ability as investors to remain focused on our long-term goals. This is not always easy. We may be...

 

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The events of today bring one word to mind: finally. Earlier today, the Federal Reserve (Fed) finally raised the target for the federal funds rate by 0.25%. By raising this key overnight borrowing rate, the Fed raised interest rates...

 

Monday, August 24, 2015

August brings with it the end of summer, but in recent years, bouts of stock market volatility have been common. It is quite normal for stock prices to decline at some point almost every year. In 30 of the 34 calendar...

 

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Only 48% of Americans say they think they are saving enough. And 30% feel that they are not even slightly confident that they are saving enough for retirement. That finding comes from the 2015 Consumer Financial...

 

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Do we really want to retire at 65? Not according to the latest annual retirement survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies which gauges the outlook of American workers. It found that 51% of us plan to...

 

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Many younger Americans lack life insurance. A 2014 report from insurance industry analyst LIMRA found that only a third of Gen Y Americans have any life insurance coverage. In the same survey of 6,000 respondents, six in...

 

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Financially speaking, how many Americans are truly on track to retire? A recently published white paper suggests that about half of us are approaching our “third acts” with faulty assumptions. Perception differs...

 

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Thirty-nine percent of American households have no life insurance at all, according to LIMRA, which keeps close tabs on the life insurance industry.In the same survey, half of all American households...

 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you’re driving to work,...

 

Friday, August 1, 2014

 

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Getting married is exciting, but it brings many challenges. One such challenge that you and your spouse will have to face is how to merge your finances. Planning carefully and communicating clearly are important,...

 

Friday, October 1, 2010

This year has continued to challenge many business owners as they wade through these challenging economic times. By looking beyond the current difficult environment many business owners can prosper by planning for the...

 

Friday, October 1, 2010

We are over one decade into the twenty first century and what do we have to show for it? From an investment perspective: next to nothing. The perennial money makers -- stocks and real estate –...