As we move into summer with school out and vacation season upon us, we want to update you with the news from HarborLight Investments. To start, we recently made a small change to the equity holdings in our model portfolios. The models have been fairly US-centric for the last few years and that has been a good thing as US markets have outperformed International markets consistently since 2011. At this point international markets are a significantly better value and have a growth outlook that is similar to the US market, so we moved a portion of our US equity holdings into international equities. This is a minor shift as our models still hold more US equities than international equities due to the added risks of investing in international markets.
Otherwise, we remain comfortable with the models as they are and will continue to watch global markets, central banks, and policy makers. In general, we try to keep our hands off the models as they are built for the long-term, but small tweaks like this are important when thoughtful analysis points to making such a change.
We (both Jason and Chris) are approaching the finish line in our mission to attain the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. Financial Planners who go the extra mile to achieve the CFP designation are akin to accountants who decide to pursue additional education in order to become a CPA.
The coursework is both rigorous and time consuming but it has provided additional depth to our planning skillset. The cherry on top of the coursework is a 6-hour exam covering: Financial Planning Principles, Education Planning, Risk Management and Insurance Planning, Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Savings and Income Planning, and Estate Planning. Copious continuing education requirements ensure that HarborLight clients will receive the most up-to-date planning services.
We hold ourselves to the highest standard when it comes to serving our clients, and we will go the extra mile to make sure we are providing the best service possible.
At its core, Financial Planning is an effort to enhance your overall financial standing by focusing on intelligent decision making.
Financial Sherpas: There are an endless series of financial decisions to make (or avoid making) along our journey and choosing wisely at each fork in the road can be the difference between success and failure. We know our clients and understand their goals so we are able to help them make decisions that are both financially savvy and appropriate for their unique situation.
We can help: Whether you need a second set of eyes as you work through one important choice or you want to delegate your financial decision making to dedicated professionals we are here to help and would love to hear from you.
Common scenarios we encounter:
We love our work and strive to provide peace of mind for our clients. Please feel free to contact us to get the ball rolling.
Each update from HL includes a link to a helpful personal finance article.
This time around we are including a respectable list of financial “rules of thumb”. How many of these tips are you following?
For an investor who wants to use income from her portfolio for spending needs, there aren't a lot of good choices today.
Read This Article >Many market participants are focused on the Fed meeting this week, but we like to focus on hard data rather than the nuanced language of the Fed statement.
Read This Article >The Federal Reserve has been hinting at an increase in short-term interest rates some time in 2015 for much of the past year.
Read This Article >
