JANUARY’S COLD SHOULDER. The new year grabbed our attention with steep market losses, with the S&P 500 marking its worst January in history (down -7.93% between Jan 4 and 15). What can one month tell us about the year ahead?

Everything aligned in 2015, and not in a good way. Here we present Q4 numbers and our tried-and-true advice for a portfolio that works in any kind of investment weather.

Reading the Tea Leaves: Janet Yellen cautiously raised rates, and Wall Street took it in stride. The markets are signaling that low rates could persist for years to come.

Anxiety. Uncertainty. Tension. Deadly terrorist attacks. And a dire situation in Syria with no end in sight. 2015 has been a volatile year and November was a particularly volatile month. Little surprise that the markets reflect our global unease, off 1% at the end of the month and with many segments in the red for the year as a whole.

Innovation fuels the investment industry with a steady stream of new products. And yet many of these products are unproven, with hidden risks and consequences that even seasoned investors can’t foresee. Here we take a closer look at one of the industry’s greatest innovations of the 21^st century—Exchange Traded Funds, or “ETFs”—now grown into a multi-trillion dollar marketplace. Does this much-touted product serve your best interests? Read on.

A rewarding month following Q3 turbulence. Whew! You could almost hear the sigh of relief as stocks climbed sharply in October. Take a look at the numbers.

This appealing strategy has pitfalls, too. Who doesn’t want to reduce their tax bill? At the end of the year, one popular tactic is tax loss harvesting, a strategy of selling stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investments that are worth less than what one paid for them. The idea is to use losses to offset realized capital gains on other investments. On the surface, tax loss harvesting seems attractive, but is it a good fit for the long-term investor? It depends.

THE REWARDS OF DOING NOTHING. The end of Q3 was a textbook example of why it pays to be a passive investor. Stocks swung wildly during the final week of August, only to be followed by a quick recovery in which the biggest losers bounced back fast. (Pity the poor investor who sold in fear early that week. But that wasn’t you.) October month to date, US markets have gained 3.8%, international developed markets 5.5%, and emerging markets 7.3%. Read on for our Q3 review, advice about what to do during market corrections, and news about the latest financial come-ons from Wall Street.   

Reaching For A Better Solution: Is Smart Beta Right for You? Wouldn’t it be great if you could reap equal or greater returns while lowering your risk? That’s the allure of new “smart beta” strategies. But are these strategies proven and reliable or simply the latest marketing gimmick to reel in gullible investors? Here we offer a quick primer on what smart beta investing is all about, and advice for those considering it.

AUGUST AGITATION. The dog days of summer brought wild swings in the stock market, testing the fortitude of seasoned investors trained to hold on through market routs. Was August a harbinger of things to come? If so, what should you do now? We’ve got insights and advice to share. Let’s begin with a review of August results.