Mountain Vista Wealth Management

Guiding from Valley to Peak

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2018 Year-end Investment Letter

INTRODUCTION

Before diving into the market overview, I wanted to announce that Michael J. Riolo, J.D. has joined Mountain Vista Wealth Management as a Senior Financial Advisor and Head of Financial Planning. Michael brings a wealth of financial planning experience to Mountain Vista and his expertise in the area of estate planning will be valuable to our clients. To learn more about Michael, please feel free to review his bio at the following link: https://mountainvistawealth.com/about/. We are excited to have him on the team and I encourage all of our clients to take advantage of his expertise.

Investor, Warren Buffett, famously said: “be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful”. If you prepare during the good times, namely raising cash or increasing fixed income exposures, then you can put yourself in a position to be opportunistic during market downturns and try to avoid the unpleasant feeling of being fully invested at the start of a bear market. While this behavior may serve as a source of alpha in your portfolios, it also promotes good long-term investing behavior, decreasing the likelihood of irrational, panicked selling. Is it time for you to be greedy or fearful? We are here to help you answer that question. [Read more…] about 2018 Year-end Investment Letter

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Introducing 529 Plans

The growth in the cost of attending college has outpaced both general inflation and wage inflation over the last 30 years.  According to the College Board, the cost of attending a pubic, four-year institution grew 3.2% faster than inflation between over the last decade.  [Read more…] about Introducing 529 Plans

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Tune out the noise

Over nine years have passed since the March 6, 2009 low in the S&P 500.  Over that time SPY has gone on to produce a total return of greater than 400%.  That should be cause for celebration, right?  Apparently not if you write about the markets for a living.

[Read more…] about Tune out the noise

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June 2018 Market Commentary

 

INTRODUCTION

As we close out the first half of 2018, we long for the market returns of 2017 when the S&P 500 returned 19.4% and the Barclays Aggregate returned 3.6%.  Despite knowing that things would not continue to be so easy, it does not make it any less frustrating to see increased volatility in our portfolio value without the commensurate returns.  [Read more…] about June 2018 Market Commentary

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Risk Matters!

While stock indices are at or near their highs, it is easy to say that everyone should have just put their money into an S&P 500 ETF and kicked their feet up.  After all, assuming the reinvestment of dividends, SPY is up 369% since the 2009 low. [Read more…] about Risk Matters!