Market Uncertainty

Dear Clients,

As the new week and new month begin, we want to reach out to all of you who may be concerned about both your physical and financial well-being. 

At this point, there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty regarding the spread of Coronavirus, the severity of the outbreak, and the duration.  We are all relying on the expertise of the scientific and medical communities and we are fortunate that they are some of our country’s best and brightest.

The financial implications are also a huge unknown.  While market corrections are inevitable, the speed at which this one occurred is dizzying, and there may well be more to come.  The world has benefited from a global economy in which trade, travel, manufacturing, and research are shared across borders and oceans.  The difficulty in containing a virus of this type is an obvious downside and the impact has grown as our economies have become more interdependent. 

Concern about your investments is normal and expected.  This situation is obviously particularly disconcerting because there is no financial, legislative, or political solution.  Our advice during this time though, is the same as it has been during prior corrections.  We do not recommend making changes to a portfolio based on fear, no matter how well justified that fear may be.  Our view has been and remains that a long-term, well diversified portfolio will provide stronger returns over time, than attempting to time the market in response to the latest headlines. 

That all being said, a reminder to all of you that we are here for you.  If you want to talk about your specific concerns, please call or email, or come by the offices.     

Marci, Lori, Tim, and Bernie