My mother-in-law was admitted to St. Joseph’s hospital Ann Arbor in early February for a chronic abdominal ailment. Five surgeries later, and after suffering a stroke, we got word on Sunday evening that she was presenting with Covid-19 symptoms and was being transferred to the 10th floor to be put on a ventilator. At 81, … Continued
The $2 trillion coronavirus-relief bill that was signed into law on Friday contains several provisions related to retirement accounts that will affect the manner in which we plan for clients. Relaxed Required Minimum Distributions for 2020 Similar to the provision that was included in 2009 legislation, required minimum distribution from IRA’s and 401(k) accounts have … Continued
Upcoming data will indicate the sky is falling… We are starting to receive economic data reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on the US economy. For example, unemployment claims for the week ending 3/20/20 were recently reported and came in at over 3.2 million. Is the sky falling? It will be difficult to put into context … Continued
Political risk is a type of risk that can be materially affected by political decisions, events, or conditions. Investors should recognize that this type of risk differs from more traditional economic risks. Currently, company specific investment analysis is being overshadowed by uncertainty surrounding the impact of the health emergency and government efforts to protect citizens … Continued
There is so much negative news out there right now. Everyone is feeling anxiety and stress, so I thought it would be helpful to pass along some of the good news that is being circulated. This blog was originally posted by Peter Diamandis (linked to the original below.) (1) Vaccine development: An experimental vaccine developed by … Continued
In military terminology, mobilization is the act of assembling and readying troops and supplies for war. During the Second World War, this gave rise to President Roosevelt’s 1940 call to arms and the mobilization of America’s industrial capacity. “Arsenal of Democracy” was the slogan that the President used to underline America’s commitment to give the … Continued
Sigma is Open for Business: As we survey the landscape we want to make sure that there is no question about Sigma being OPEN for business. – We are taking every precaution and making sure we are following the CDC and other government guidelines to protect our employees, doing our best to help them remain … Continued
We live in interesting times. The current stock market behavior is reminiscent of the dot.com bust, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis, to name a few. During moments like these, the market is responding not only to weakening economic fundamentals, but also fear and panic that arises during periods of uncertainty. The global effort to … Continued
In a period of uncertainty, making drastic changes to one’s portfolio when asset prices are fluctuating by 5% to 10% per day is not a sound strategy. Clearly, we are in uncharted waters and surrounded with a great deal of uncertainty. However, there is certainty of a recovery as we look beyond this short term … Continued
The news changes so quickly that anything written seems to be almost obsolete before the send button can be pushed. However, the 50,000 foot view remains relevant. As my colleague Bob Bilkie wrote in a portion of yesterday’s Sigma blog: it’s at times like these that we have to remain clearheaded and look beyond the … Continued
This sounds like a cliché, but it’s at times like these that we have to remain clearheaded and look beyond the current financial despair. The economy will recover from the short term, coronavirus-inspired weakness and advance to renewed prosperity. So too will the financial markets. At Sigma, we have seen and lived through many periods … Continued
Over the weekend, two major oil producing nations, Saudi Arabia and Russia, lost any semblance of diplomacy on discussions related to oil supply. With no finesse, the Saudi’s announced production increases and this led to a monumental drop in oil prices and the sheer magnitude and timing shocked financial markets. In the long run, market-based, … Continued
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