portfolio review

It’s Second Look—and Second Opinion!—Season
graphic shows the words "'Tis the Season" inside a magnifying glass

Clients, the markets are at a low point. It’s a prime time to revisit our holdings! Let’s take a second look. 

To be clear, portfolio reviews are part and parcel of our regular business. But these times of churn and change are a great opportunity to look more closely—and try to make sense of everything given the context. 

Conversations with some of you lately have inspired some changes. Could it be time to garner tax losses and take a different approach with some of your resources going forward? 

Our goal at 228 Main is to grow your buckets. We believe the better off you are, probably the better off we will be down the road. That’s enough for us to review and comment on your plans and planning, as well as your investment holdings and accounts. 

While it’s Second Look Season for us in the shop, could it be Second Opinion Season for anyone in your life? It could be you know folks who are paying fees for investment management when their investments don’t seem to be managed at all. Does anyone in your life have long-term investments stuck in stagnant short-term holdings? 

I often say I’m in business to talk all day. If you have questions about your holdings, I might as well be talking to you and your loved ones! And clients, please know that we have nothing to lose by your seeking a second opinion of your own. All the power to you: you are the boss of what you do with your wealth. (We seem to get all the business we deserve, and none that we don’t.) 

No matter where our resources land, remember that the markets go up and down. We won’t tell fairy tales about “minimizing risk” or getting market returns without enduring the inevitable fluctuations. We will not ignore that the price of so-called “safety” is often the loss of potential future gains. 

But we do believe in striving for long-term total returns. So we live with volatility. No waves, no voyage. No rain, no flowers. 

Clients, when you have questions about your situation, please write or call. If you know someone who would like to chat with us, let them know Second Opinion Season is in full swing, now through year-end! 

Thank you all, for everything. 

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Play the audio version of this post below:

It’s Second Look—and Second Opinion!—Season – 228Main.com Presents: The Best of Leibman Financial Services

This text is available at https://www.228Main.com/.

Reviewing the Essentials: What’s in the Kit?
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I’m in my line of work to talk all day. I love spending time getting to know you, getting down to the essence of your financial situation. With new clients, it’s a bit like jumping on the train with you and asking, “So where are we headed?”

Clients, you know it takes some trust and some time to get down to the essence of your situation. And the exciting thing is that the essentials can change on us.

“Wait, wait, wait,” you might be wondering, “Aren’t the essentials essential for a reason?” Yes. The fundamentals are always in style… but the circumstances can (and do!) change. And so we revisit our systems, our assumptions, and our resources.

Any seasoned traveler will recognize the ways “the essentials” can shift over time. Taking inventory of first-aid kit, for instance, you notice that some supplies can expire, wear out, or become obsolete as your life and your activities change.

So it goes with the companies we screen, too. As we search for potential investment opportunities, some of our favorite qualities help us identify what resonates with us. But a bargain doesn’t keep its bargain status forever: that label is useful to us, but we actively monitor our holdings as things change.

It’s a dynamic line of work we’re in. There is no “set it and forget it,” really. We’re all about the fundamentals, those values that guide us, but keeping our practice geared on the essentials—and only the essentials—is quite an active process.

And a lot of fun for us, to boot.

Clients, what are we missing? Is it time to take a closer look at something together? Write or call, anytime.

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Play the audio version of this post below:

Reviewing the Essentials: What’s in the Kit? – 228Main.com Presents: The Best of Leibman Financial Services

This text can be found at https://www.228Main.com/.

Feeling the Burn and Staying Fresh: One Sneaky Benefit of Stress
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My reading habits, always eclectic, have gotten a lot of exercise during the pandemic. I just read about an interesting health phenomenon, one that illuminates the things we like to talk about here. 

“Autophagy” is the body’s way of recycling older or damaged cells and doing cleanup and maintenance. It seems to promote regeneration of new, healthy cells. The stresses of physical exertion and fasting are known to trigger increased autophagy, a sort of survival mechanism. 

What could this possibly have to do with investing? 

We recently chose to take advantage of a volatile day in the stock market to clear out a few holdings. It was cleanup and maintenance. Those sales freed up money with which to invest in newer ideas and opportunities.  

Just as stresses trigger autophagy in the body, market volatility and economic change tend to trigger cleanup and maintenance in our portfolios. 

Autophagy is believed by some to be a sort of an anti-aging process, keeping the body younger. Likewise, with our portfolio management, we strive to keep our holdings fresher, more in tune with the times. “In shape.” (No guarantees, of course. Autophagy does not guarantee perpetual youth, and our work does not guarantee returns.) 

When you are ready to talk about the health of your portfolio, call or email us. Let’s talk.

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Stagnation

© Can Stock Photo / stevekight

The word stagnant is an adjective used to describe things that are motionless, lifeless, lethargic, slow-moving, inactive or static, like water with no flow to it.

If these kinds of words also describe financial accounts you own, this may be a good time to get things moving. A dormant old 401(k) or too much cash parked in the bank could be in that category. Investments or advisors you don’t understand might be another sign.

A wise person once said that every past market crash looks like an opportunity. We do not have to wait until after the inevitable rebound to treat the current turmoil as an opportunity. It could be a great time to do something about the stagnant pieces of your financial puzzle. Or not. No guarantees.

(We address our communications to clients, but know that we have many eavesdroppers. To them we say, our approach is not for everyone. You can learn a lot about it here at 228Main.com, or in our Twitter or LinkedIn feeds.)

You may need to clean house in your finances or review your plans and planning in light of new information. If we might be able to help, put us to work. It’s what we do.

Clients, if you would like to talk about this or anything else, please email us or call.