Many stock indexes finished down in 2018 for the first time since the financial crisis. The S&P 500 ended down 4.38%, the Nasdaq dropped 2.84% and the Dow Industrials gave up 3.48%. With all of these negative returns for the year, the volatility and fear have begun feeding each other. If you find yourself getting caught up with all of the changes and the hype and want to discuss your portfolio, please don’t hesitate to reach out. That is what I am here for and why I have been reaching out to many of you over the past couple of months to talk through some of your situations.
This is a reminder for some of us who are new to investing that the markets are volatile and they do not go straight up. For those of you who I have been working with for some time, you know that this presents an opportunity. Investing is counter intuitive. While in our head, we know that it is best to buy low and sell high, even those of us with nerves of steel can shy away from this plan. It feels better to invest when the market is heading up and it is uncomfortable to invest when it pulls back. I can help.
On the Personal Side:
The holiday blitz remains blurry for me. My largest souvenir from the last quarter is likely the 15 pounds that I picked up. Over the past quarter, Halloween came and went, Amelia reached the grand old age of 7 in November, our family survived the great Greensboro snowpacolypse of 2018 and we took the girls for Christmas to New York City for the first time. Today, January 7th, marks the first full week of school for my children since before Thanksgiving. This past weekend despite all of that chaos with schedules and weather, Evan found a way to train for and come in first in her age group in the Kernersville 25k race. Amazing is the only way to describe her.
With every New Year, I get all into goals, planning and resolutions. I guess being a planner, this is mandatory and expected. Introspectively, this celebratory optimism may be tied to the fact that I am not having to hide an elf on a shelf every night before I go to bed. This year I am learning a little more about video and trying to learn to edit and create videos. Beware I may be flooding social media with my progress.
This year is a huge year as Evan and I both have big birthdays to celebrate. I turn 40 and Evan will turn 25. With that, I will be renting an RV and heading West with my brothers, Jake and Luke as I drive to a conference in Denver. As the conference ends, Evan and the girls will be flying out to meet me and we will visit National Parks as we make our way back to Greensboro. Don’t worry, I will be working along the way. Even more reason to not worry, I will be documenting my National Lampoons trip and sharing it with you so you can make fun of me.
On the business side:
2019 will be a lot of fun around here. I am excited about this year as we have only had one full time service person through all of 2018 and we are now in a great position to help our clients with a really fun team. Brooke is fully back and just had her first Christmas as a parent.
Hollie has joined us on January 2 of this year and has a background in customer service from the legal world along with a big smile. She will be working along with Brooke and we hope you will give her a warm welcome. For a little bit about Hollie, you can click here.
Travel:
With clients all over the world, we have been brainstorming ways to keep up with all of the cool things that they do and incredible places they visit. One thing many of our clients have in common is travel. We have recently had hats printed and would love to send you one. We are asking clients and friends to post photos in their Matt Logan Inc. hats so we can live vicariously through your awesome travel! If you are traveling or would like one, email Hollie and she will mail one to you.
Social Media:
Social media is the best way to get timely updates and to learn about various financial concepts. Please connect with me online. Our Instagram is back online, although comments are still disabled. Let’s connect on LinkedIn or Twitter at @mattloganinc ,or follow my channel on Youtube or follow my page on Facebook. We will be posting regularly on our blog as well so be sure to check it out from time to time.
Introductions:
If you are in a conversation with someone who is looking to make some financial goals come true this year, tell them about me. I love helping people take control of their financial lives and begin them on the path to financial freedom.
Online Access:
As I mentioned, we have consolidated our online account access through E-money. If you would like to set up an account and do not work with us currently, please email us to set up an account. If you have already set up your account and would like to access your accounts, click here. More often, we are helping facilitate financial communication among generations. If you are concerned about your parents and their financial situation this could be a good solution for you.
The Bus:
The holidays are always crazy busy for the bus. I am always partial to my own childrens’ birthday parties and had a lot of fun driving Amelia and her friends to Tumblebees for her gymnastics birthday party. This Christmas it was used a few times to go view the Christmas Balls in Sunset Hills as part of some holiday outings. This quarter is a busy quarter for many non-profits. If you are working on an auction or fundraiser currently and would like to inquire about us donating the bus, please let me know. The bus comes with our driver and the cost is relatively low at $50 an hour to use it.
Featured Blog Post:
Many people ask what they should be doing and if they are normal. It is natural to wonder if you are doing the right things financially, as financial topics are very taboo. Don’t worry you are not alone. This article does a good job of helping with some tips based on your age. Retirement Savings Tips From Your 20s To Your 60s.
First Quarter Outlook:
The global economy sputtered and went all over the place last quarter. Trade talks with China, our largest trade partner, continue to loom over the global economy. Companies are at a standstill with how to approach this but the tariffs are affecting many companies. We are confident that there will be a solution and agreement that should lower the volatility. There is so much at stake for both countries that they are very motivated to come to an agreement. The government shut down is also having some small effects on the company that promise to grow significantly as we approach tax time. As Washington is playing politics, much of it is playing out in the economic numbers that are coming out. The positive things to focus on are high levels of employment and rising wages. For a more in depth analysis, please click here for the First Quarter 2019 Outlook.
Disclosure: The views stated in this piece are not necessarily the opinion of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC and should not be construed directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Due to volatility within the markets mentioned, opinions are subject to change without notice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable; however, their accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Investors cannot invest directly in indexes. The performance of any index is not indicative of the performance of any investment and does not take into account the effects of inflation and the fees and expenses associated with investing.
The S&P 500 is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
The NASDAQ Composite Index includes all domestic and international based common type stocks listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a broad based index.
