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Monthly Investment Newsletter - May 2015
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We hope you are doing well, and it looks like we finally have Spring-like weather! It is time once again for our Newsletter, and we hope that you find it at least somewhat informative. If you have any questions on this or anything else, feel free to reply back.
A brief overview of recent market activity and expectations follows below. Our investment topic for this month is Long Term Care - Is It Right For You?
You will find past investment articles, and recent stock market commentary and reviews, by clicking on the relevant
Quick Links on the right, or peruse past investment topics by clicking the
Articles tab above or directly on our website. If there is a topic of interest you would like to see covered in the future, please reply back to this email to let us know, or
click here.
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This Month's Investment Topic:
Long Term Care - Is It Right For You?
This month we focus on Long Term Care. The advantages, disadvantages, and factors to consider. To read the article, please
click here.
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Recent market activity
For the month of April, the markets showed again some strong resilience during the month, only to see the end of the month trail off and erode a good portion of the gains. Two of the bigger news stories of the month were:
1) A disappointing GDP number of 0.2% which was below expectations that were already fairly low. The explanation to this lower than expected number primarily being due to the result of weather related problems in the first quarter, coupled with a strong U.S. dollar which is hurting corporate profitability overseas.
2) The FED meeting in which the Federal Reserve signaled that it could raise interest rates at any meeting, removing any specific calendar references as to when it may occur, and stating that it was going to be data dependent in terms of their decision making.
You may have heard one of Wall Street's oldest sayings mentioned, "Sell in May and Go Away". While we certainly never advocate market timing, it is important to note that in May historically the market does not "tank" during that period, but more often than not the returns are just a little bit more lackluster, however they are generally not negative.
A look back at some of last year's May 2014 performance numbers:
US Large Cap Core: 2.1%,
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US Large Cap Value: 1.1%
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US Small Cap Core: 0.9%
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US Small Cap Value: 1.1%
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International Large Core: 0.9%
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International Large Value: 0.4%
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International Small Core: 1.0%
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Emerging Markets: 3.3%
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Short Term Bonds: 0.3%
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Below is a summary of April's performance of some of the major indices:
| Index |
April 2015 |
YTD |
US Treasury 3 Month T-Bill
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0.01% |
0.03% |
Barclay's US Aggregate Bond Index
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-0.36% |
1.24% |
Barclay's Municipal Bond Index
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-0.52% |
0.48% |
S&P 500 Index
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0.96% |
1.92% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average |
0.45% |
0.78% |
| MSCI EAFE (International Equities) |
4.08% |
9.16% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets |
7.69% |
10.10% |
Russell Mid Cap
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-0.91% |
3.01% |
Russell 2000 Index (Small-Cap Stocks)
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-2.55% |
1.65% |
Morningstar Commodity Index
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5.73% |
-0.55% |
Morningstar REIT Index
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-5.79% |
-1.35% |
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Recent reports available from Morningstar:
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On the Investment Horizon
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Upcoming Key Dates on the Economic Calendar
- Friday, May 8: Unemployment report for the prior month, released at 8:30AM.
- Wednesday. May 13: Retail Sales, released at 8:30AM.
- Tuesday, May 19: Housing Starts, released at 8:30AM.
- Wednesday May 20: The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issues the minutes of their previous meeting at 2PM.
- Friday, May 22: Consumers Price Index (CPI), released at 8:30AM.
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Spring cleanup
The Spring is a great time of year to go through your file folders, and eliminate old papers that you may no longer need to hold onto (make sure to shred anything with personal information). For instance, the IRS requires you to k
eep records for 3 years
from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later, if you file a claim for credit or refund after you file your return. You need to keep records for 7 years
if you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction. For more information on this subject from the IRS, click here.
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If you desire an appointment, have any questions on any of this material, or any other financial subjects may relate to your own financial circumstance, please reach out to us at the contact information below:
Sincerely,
Brian Cohen, CCO; email: brian@landmarkwealthmgmt.com; phone: 631-923-2487
This communication is from
Landmark Wealth Management, LLC
, a Securities and Exchange Commission Registered Investment Advisory firm. The information in this email is not intended as tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek tax, legal, or investment advice from an independent professional / financial advisor. The content is derived from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Information and use of materials contained in this email, including text and attachments, is confidential and is for the use of the intended recipient(s) only. If received in error, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication, or any of its contents, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please reply to the sender and delete the original message and any copy of it from your systems. Be also advised that email communications are not secure. All e-mail sent to or from this address will be recorded by the Landmark Wealth Management, LLC email system and is subject to archival, monitoring, and inspection pursuant to securities regulations. Please direct any matters regarding this policy to info@landmarkwealthmgmt.com.
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