Blog
CWM Blog
The Path to Recovery
These are challenging times -- particularly for investors. Here are some of out thoughts on what the market recovery might look like. Chatham Wealth Management's relationship manager are here to help. Call to discuss your portfolio.
Read MoreShow All
The Key to a Balanced Portfolio is Re-Balancing
Investors should have a goal in mind before they decide how much of each asset class they would like to make up their total investments. Key inputs to help create goals are an investor’s risk tolerance, time horizon, life...
Read MoreThe SECURE Act
Happy New Year! I wanted to pass along a note we put out on some new laws in 2020 affecting retirement accounts. Please let me know if you have any questions. New Laws can Help You Save More for Retirement With the passage of the...
Read More2019 Professional Investor Conference At Goldman Sachs
November 13, 2019Dan Moskowitz Yesterday, I was lucky enough to attend the 2019 Professional Investor Conference at Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York City. It was a tremendous event that 263 (representing 45 states) of the...
Read MoreThe markets lead and the Federal Reserve follows
November 2019 The Federal Reserve said they would raise rates 3 times in 2019, but instead have cut rates 3 times so far and perhaps with more cuts to come… The Federal Reserve simply is behind the curve because they are only...
Read MoreRoth vs Traditional IRA
Roth vs. Traditional IRA – Which is Right for You? Aside from funding your 401K tax advantaged plan at work, individual retirement accounts (IRA) should be used to supplement retirement savings. The question that we often get...
Read MoreDividends are becoming more important
“If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else” Yogi Berra …as this bull market advances in age Historically, dividends have been 40% to 50% of the total return for the stock market with...
Read MoreMid-Summer Update
Markets Recent economic figures show the U.S. economy getting back on a little more solid footing. Stronger jobs numbers, a bounce back in retail sales and consumer confidence are the highlights of recent improvement. These figures and...
Read MoreQ1 2019 Fed to the Rescue – Clouds Lift
Government shutdown, increasing tariff’s, Fed raising rates and a significant economic slowdown all plagued the stock market in the fourth quarter of 2018. Now all of those issues seem to be in the rearview mirror. The Fed has...
Read MorePowell led Federal Reserve creates recent volatility
“If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else” Yogi Berra Where is the Federal Reserve going?For 2018, the Federal Reserve (Fed) was fixated in raising interest rates rapidly and forecasted more...
Read MoreGet Invested
One thing that you can be assured of in the stock market is that there will always be volatility. For the month of December, the S&P 500 posted a 9% decline. At its lowest point on December 24th, the index was down a whopping 16.2%. As...
Read More“The future ain’t what it used to be” Yogi Berra
Investor pessimism soared, and the stock market dropped as “the future ain’t what it used to be” Extreme negative sentiment dominated the markets causing the S&P 500 to drop 19.8% by late December from the September...
Read MoreLook out for Big Capital Gains Distributions on your Mutual Fund Holdings
As your year end mutual fund statements and tax documents arrive you should make sure that you take a close look at the performance of your funds AND whether you have a sizeable capital gains distribution. Often the fourth quarter is...
Read MoreFinancial Moves that may help lessen your Tax Burden
As we approach the end of 2018, it’s a good time to start thinking about financial moves that may help lessen your tax burden. New Rules This year ⦁ Increased standard deductions 2018: The standard deduction has nearly doubled to...
Read MoreIs the value of your home too big a part of your retirement plan?
Existing homes sales for August were released last week, the high-end market is experiencing a slow down: Nationally - Existing home sales were flat in August after subsiding the previous four months Sales are now 1.5% below year ago...
Read MoreTime to Review Your Tax Situation
It may be early September but at Chatham Wealth we are always looking at ways we can be tax efficient for our clients. How do we do this? Because you are dealing directly with the portfolio manager we are able customize the tax...
Read MoreNachos Para Macho
NACHOS PARA MACHO By John Lui - Chief Investment Strategist September 2018 For the Macho… If you are ever in Playa Del Carmen, you will find a delicious pool snack at the Grand Hyatt, Nachos Para Macho (Nachos for the Macho)....
Read MoreAre you maximizing your health savings account in your retirement plan?
It is estimated that Americans will need $275,000 for healthcare related expenses in retirement. One tax-advantaged account that many people don’t know about or don’t realize the full extent of benefits is the Health...
Read MoreThe Case for Patient Investing - Buy Right & Sit Tight
The case for patient investing – buy right and sit tight! Over the last several years we have seen a lot of fluctuations in the stock market. These wild moves often tempt investors to move money in and out of the market trying to...
Read MoreDo the right thing – and your business grows
Despite the significant strides the financial services industry has made toward better-informing clients of the cost of doing business, advisors using the fiduciary standard believe more can be done to increase transparency. “The...
Read More
"When you get to the fork in the road, take it"... Yogi Berra
Time to consider cash equivalents as a viable investment again… After years of near zero and sub 1% yields for cash equivalents, floating rate debt, & short/ultra short term bonds (I will call them USBs), they now offer...
Read More
"When you get to the fork in the road, take it"... Yogi Berra
Time to consider cash equivalents as a viable investment again… After years of near zero and sub 1% yields for cash equivalents, floating rate debt, & short/ultra short term bonds (I will call them USBs), they now offer...
Read MoreMay 2018 Bond Commentary
Title: May 2018 Bond Commentary – Dan Moskowitz
Read MoreFinancial Planning for Recent College Graduates
It’s that time of the year when many families are excitedly getting ready to attend their children’s college graduation. Where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday that we were dropping them off for freshman year...
Read MoreKnow what you own – The importance of rebalancing a portfolio
Know what you own – The importance of rebalancing a portfolio The stock market has just completed a stellar year with the S&P 500 gaining close to 20% and we are coming out of the gates fast in 2018 with the S&P 500 index up over...
Read MoreMarch 2018 Bond Commentary
March 2018 Bond Commentary – Dan Moskowitz
Read MoreRetirement and Bonds
Retirement and Bonds - Time to Remember How Bonds Work Dan Moskowitz, CFP® February 20, 2018 The thirty-five-year bull market has clouded many bond buyer’s perspective. The chart below shows interest rates dropping from 1981...
Read MoreDerivatives and Computers Gone Wild!
Massive short squeeze on speculators gyrates the markets… Financial speculators that were short leveraged derivative products based on the VIX Index, caused massive late afternoon swings in the stock markets last week. One...
Read MoreBeware the Siren Song of Derivatives...
The masses do not see the Sirens. They do not hear songs in the air. Blind, deaf, stooping, they pull at their oars in the hold of the earth. But the more select, the captains, harken to a Siren within them... and royally squander...
Read MoreDo you have a plan for your financial life?
Fall is a great time to review your financial plan. If you haven’t yet created one you should.Why is a plan important? A financial plan helps you prepare for the big events in your life. Unless you plan for it, you will not wake...
Read MoreKids and Taxes – What You Need to Know
As summer comes to an end, many kids/grandchildren/nieces and nephews are finishing up their summer jobs and heading back to school. Many will continue to work in some capacity throughout the school year.During this past tax season, I...
Read MoreBenefits of Total Return Investing in an Ultra-Low Interest Rate Environment
“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king” Desiderius Erasmus The big picture… A total return approach balances the two investing goals of income and capital appreciation based on market conditions. It does...
Read MorePlanning for a Special Needs Child or Grandchild
Before she reached her second birthday, Julia was a smart, bleach blonde, blue eyed, “gifted” little girl. She could sing her ABC’s at an unusually young age. Soon after turning two, Epilepsy ravaged her body and mind...
Read MoreCorrections are common and by definition are buying opportunities...
Corrections are common and by definition are buying opportunities, but humans are wired to sell into them… A stock market correction is a temporary decline in the stock market of 10% or more, which does not interrupt the uptrend...
Read MoreTop Tips For Preventing Identity Theft
“As most Americans know, we live in an age when it’s not a matter of if, but when you will become a victim of identity theft” - FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez Feb 2016Top Tips For Preventing Identity Theft Add antivirus...
Read MoreTMI and when less is more…
Drinking out of a fire hoseYes, it can be overwhelming with the 24/7 financial media and our friends/community sending us links to “news – usually negative as that is what resonates more” via social networks. After...
Read More2016 Year End Commentary
Dear Clients and Friends,Welcome to Chatham Wealth Management's Year End Newsletter. Each January, we like to review the big-picture events and scenarios of the past 12 months that influenced our investment strategies and ultimately...
Read MoreEstate Planning Update – New Jersey to Repeal It’s Estate Tax
Do you remember the New Jersey tourism slogan from the early eighties: “New Jersey and You, Perfect Together”? The message for vacationing in New Jersey meant: long white beaches, surf fishing, entertainment and amusements,...
Read More
Stay on course and invest…
Ronald Read was born in Dummerston, Vermont on October 23, 1921 and died June 2, 2014. Despite, earning a modest living as a gasoline attendant and then as a janitor at JC Penney, Mr. Read amassed an $8 million fortune by investing...
Read MoreAre dividend stocks the new bonds?
In an era of low bank CDs and bond interest rates, we have been increasing our allocation to high quality dividend stocks or “bond like stocks” while reducing our investments from CDs and bonds. This strategy is especially...
Read MoreIf It Sounds Too Good To Be True……
Often times, clients reach out to CWM looking for an opinion on an investment (or product) that just sounds too good to be true. They are intrigued by the “guarantees” and “I can’t lose money” features....
Read MoreInvesting Trumps Who is Elected
INVESTING TRUMPS WHO IS ELECTEDIn recent meetings, I can’t recall anyone asking me about China and oil as these scares are fading away like concerns about Greece and the collapse of the Euro did. The focus now is Donald versus...
Read MoreWhat is your “Loss Cushion”?
It might seem like the sky is falling. The media makes it sound that way. Many of your family or friends may say so. Even you may feel like the sky is falling when your investment statement shows a sudden and rapid...
Read More5 Considerations to Help You Stay Calm in Tough Markets
If you are standing in the doorway trying to protect yourself as the sky (i.e. stock market) falls, then consider these ideas to help you remain calm.1. Keep your long-term goals in mind: Remember that you have an investment...
Read More
Goldilocks and the Three Scares
Goldilocks is good for the stock market The Goldilocks economy that is not too hot and not too cold is ideal for the stock market. An economy that is too hot raises the likelihood of rapid increases in interest rates that will...
Read MoreUPDATE: Plan for the Year Ahead…and Beyond
As an update to my commentary several weeks ago, we have been watching closely legislation regarding renewing the so-called Tax Extenders, as mentioned, a series of tax provisions that have lapsed and been reinstated (i.e., extended)...
Read More
Plan for the Year Ahead .....and Beyond
As 2015 draws to a close, a turbulent economic and legislative environment means CWM is keeping a close eye on several major planning issues to properly guide our clients:Checking on CongressThe most important thing to do this year for...
Read MorePending Recession?
Many clients and friends I speak with seem to believe that the current stock market rally will end very shortly and a recession is right around the corner. We do not believe this is the case for a number of reasons.
Read MoreWhy Investors Should Avoid Market Timing - A Long-Term, Total Return Investment Perspective
Why Investors Should Avoid Market Timing - A Long-Term, Total Return Perspective
Read More
"Did you just order a $5 shake"
In the 1994 movie, Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace ordered a milkshake at Jack Rabbit Slims that cost $5 prompting Vincent Vega to ask, in surprise, “Did you just order a five dollar shake” . After tasting the shake he comments...
Read More
Advisor Alpha – It’s More Than Just Portfolio Performance
Advisor Alpha – It’s More Than Just Portfolio Performance
Read More
5 Tips for Bulletproof Liquidity and Financial Readiness
5 Tips for Bulletproof Liquidity and Financial Readiness By Michael T. Ryan - October 2015Unexpected expenses and financial emergencies are unfortunately part of life. As John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens to...
Read More
“Thank you sir, may I have another”…Paying for college….Everyone should complete the FAFSA to be considered for financial aid
"Thank you sir, may I have another"…Paying for college….Everyone should complete the FAFSA to be considered for financial aidBy Brian McGeough - October 2015When it comes to paying for college, John Blutarsky would probably...
Read More
China's After Hours Farming
China's After Hours Farming! By John Lui - August 12, 2015 While the Shanghai Disney Resort is not expected to open until the Spring of 2016, locals need not wait as they can take a roller coaster ride on the Shanghai Stock Exchange...
Read More
529 Plans: Withdrawal Traps to Avoid
529 Plans – Withdrawal Traps to AvoidBy Gregg Shaw – February 2015As we approach the end of the school year and prepare for the excitement of summer, it won’t be long for high school seniors to be heading off to...
Read More
2014 Year End Letter
Welcome to Chatham Wealth Management's Year End Newsletter. Each January, we like to review the big-picture events and scenarios of the past 12 months that influenced our investment strategies and ultimately impacted the value of your portf
Read More
Follow earnings and not price movement when investing in the stock market...
In meeting with my clients, their biggest concern is that the stock market will have to collapse because it has gone up so high since the March 2009 bottom. Their rationale is, “what goes up must come down”. Although the price level of the
Read More
December 2014- Jake From State Farm
It’s 3am and a wife sees her husband whispering into the phone. Any normal person would suspect something is not right. Just like the wife in the State Farm commercial, investors
Read More
November 2014 Monthly Commentary
The U.S. economy continued to grow at a steady clip in the second half of 2014.
Read More
Six Reasons to Consider a Trust
Six Reasons to Consider a TrustMany people believe establishing a trust will eliminate estate taxes. Although true with certain types of trusts (i.e., irrevocable trusts), people often fail to appreciate the power a trust...
Read More
Prepare for your Someday-Social Security
Social Security: “Prepare for your Someday”By Gregg Shaw – September 2014Each day, thousands of Americans apply for first time Social Security benefits. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of the...
Read More
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today J. Wellington Wimpy
““I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today”.”J. Wellington Wimpy By John Lui – August 2014E. C. Segar, the Great Depression Era cartoonist, who created Popeye, also gave us Wimpy...
Read More2014 2nd Quarter Client letter
The second quarter of 2014 was a solid one for most asset classes.
Read More
Falling BRICS
BRICS as in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which represented the fastest growing emerging markets over the last few decades,
Read More
CWM wants to protect clients from “Rigged” markets - March, 2014
Advisers worry about high-speed trading backlash from
Read More
2013 Year End Letter To Clients
2013 Year in review - A look back at some of the market influencing events:
Read More
Savvy Year End Tax Planning December, 2013
As we prepare for the busy holiday season, year-end (2013) is quickly coming to a close. The 2013 federal tax code contains a large number of new items, with implications...
Read More
What is Yield Investing
In today’s environment, it is discouraging to go to the local bank and see the rates you will get on a 6 year CD (certificate of deposit) or one year CD. The website, Bankrate.com publishes the average yield on bank CDs.
Read More
Does the Traditional 60%-40% Asset Allocation Still Work - Sept 2013
In today’s investment environment, portfolio managers are questioning the use of the traditional allocation of 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds.
Read More
Advisory Fees: Can I Take a Tax Deduction?
Advisory Fees: Can I Take a Tax Deduction?By Gregg Shaw – Feb 2013Now that tax season is in full swing and with less than one month to go until April 15th, taxpayers are looking for any deduction they may qualify for to reduce...
Read More
2012 Year End Letter
All of us at CWM are extremely grateful for another successful year
Read More
Charitable Giving Strategies 2012
Charitable Giving Strategies in an Uncertain Tax Environment
Read More
Maximizing Retired Clients' Portfolio Income
It's not easy being a retiree in today's environment of low interest rate and
Read MoreBush Clinton - February, 2012
Presidential address captivates advisors
Read More
Roth IRA's Basics
Roth IRA's Clients are asking by Gregg Shaw - Febuary 1st
Read More