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Of Irish and Fiscal Cliffs
When faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge, it’s tempting to stick one’s head in the sand like an ostrich, and hope it goes away. Some have said that about U.S. politicians when it comes to...
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A Delicate Balance
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who argues that balance is a bad thing, but in this time of austerity versus growth and political us-versus-them, you’d be equally hard-pressed to find agreement...
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Fix the Debt!
In the “normal” course of a U.S. election, investors typically breathe a sigh of relief when the results come in, with at least one layer of market uncertainty removed. This time around, the political...
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New Year’s Vantage Point: Peter Langerman
As we ring in a new year, it’s a good time to gain some perspective on where we’ve been, and where we might be headed. For a global perspective on the challenges facing the equity markets at large—and...
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New Year’s Vantage Point: Ed Jamieson
In our next Vantage Point blog, Edward Jamieson, president, chief investment officer and portfolio manager of Franklin Equity Group©, shares his perspective on the bright (and not-so-bright) spots in...
View ArticleNew Year’s Vantage Point: Fred Fromm, Steve Land and Matthew Adams
We wrap up our 2013 Vantage Points series with three Franklin Equity Group© portfolio managers who offer their insights on the natural resources sector: Frederick Fromm, CFA, portfolio manager and...
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Will U.S. Fiscal Loose Ends Cause the Markets to Unravel?
One would hope that after the United States avoided going over the fiscal cliff there might be some calm in the financial markets, but the forecast still calls for potential choppiness ahead with a...
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Ed Jamieson’s Quick Take on U.S. Sequestration
The one thing the U.S. government seems particularly good at is procrastination. The “sequestration” deadline on March 1 has come and gone, and no real plan has yet emerged to stop an automatic roster...
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Three Dimensions of Discipline
As New Year’s resolutions fade into guilty memories, it’s a bitter reminder that maintaining discipline, in life and investing, is just plain hard. Despite best intentions, bear markets can tempt...
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Taking Stock in the U.S.
Is it time to take stock in the U.S. market? Equities started the year strong as the U.S. economy sidestepped the worst-case fiscal cliff scenario and continued showing signs of improvement despite...
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Moving Past March Muni Madness
After the calendar flipped to 2013, a bit of March madness took hold in the municipal bond market, as a headline frenzy hit and demand turned negative. Rafael Costas, senior vice president and...
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Looking at Leverage Outside the Box
Yield-seeking investors have been boxed in by the near-zero US rate environment, and it seems like there are few ways out. But for those willing to set aside preconceived ideas about the word...
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Sequestration Stings
Whether it’s called “austerity” or “sequestration,” tightening belts is no fun for anyone. There’s pretty much universal agreement that sequestration – the stern term given to the US government...
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Saving for College: A Family Affair
The language of personal finance isn’t especially racy, but “debt” certainly has taken on the negative tone of other “four-letter words.” Even so, with college costs on the rise and many parents...
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Taking a Bite of Values
In the midst of a spring stock market surge sweeping some spots on the global map—notably the US—some investors have been left scratching their heads, wondering just what it is that the equity market...
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Silver Lining: Fed’s “Tapering” Signals Stronger Economy
The Federal Reserve’s warning that it planned to scale back purchases of Treasuries sparked a storm on Wall Street, bringing instability to what had been a pleasant May in the US markets. Almost lost...
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The Fear Factor in US Equities
Fear is a powerful motivator. Whether it’s a saber-toothed tiger or investment risks, it’s hard to stay calm when confronted with a perceived threat. Fear of a 2008 – 2009 downturn repeat, even in...
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Rates, Dividends and The Laws of Gravity
The laws of gravity may dictate that what goes up must come down, but interest rates seem to have their own converse course of action – what goes down eventually will go up. Although it seems like...
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“Taper Tantrum” Grips Muni Market
The markets have been in fits since mid-May, when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke planted the seed that the central bank’s prolonged asset buying program would start winding down. Many investors...
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Fixed Income Fed Insight: It’s All About Employment
The adage, “don’t fight the Fed,” speaks to the power of the US central bank to influence the markets. We certainly saw evidence of that when, in mid-May, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke began...
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