Category: Free Market Strategy

  • Picking Winning Stocks

    You think you can pick winning stocks consistently, and I’m here to tell you that you can’t.   But even if I cannot convince you that you can’t pick stocks, I hope to at least convince you that it is not in your best interest to try.   We look at examples like Warren Buffet and…

  • What is a Wall Street Bully?

    Wall Street Bullies are not just found in New York City, they are found in investment brokerages throughout the country.  In fact, your investment guy, might just be a wall street bully. I explain a Wall Street Bully as an individual or institution that uses fear, greed, intimidation, and misleading information to get an investor…

  • Long Term Stock Market Returns

    Looking at a chart covering the performance of the stock market over the last 30 plus years is a lot like looking at a chart of profitable business earnings at a cartoon enterprise meeting–it’s almost a caricature of itself, a steady upward slope shaped like a ski jump punctuated by regular but far-between drops, always…

  • 1st Quarter Stock Market Recap

    If you pay attention to any financial media you probably assumed 2016 has been a horrible year for stocks so far, but you would be wrong.  Although it wasn’t a great quarter for stocks, The Free Market US Equity portfolio (Diversified US Mix) was in the positive by just over 1%.  Bonds were slightly better…

  • 2015 Market Analysis

    The market had a very bumpy 2015, with a few scary drops, and some quick climbs.  The last quarter in specific stocks bounced back for most sectors after the downturn in quarter 3.  If you didn’t panic and sell out after the big drop in August, you were rewarded as the S&P 500 index was…

  • When is it Safe to Get In the Market?

    Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that investors face is determining if “right now” is a safe time to invest (meaning not just the present, but any time). What makes it difficult for investors is a twofold issue: first, is a lack of historical knowledge and perspective, and second, their own emotions. Actually, if one…

  • Third Quarter Market Returns

    As you might have already heard the stock market took a dip in the most recent quarter.  Fixed income categories on the other hand did see mostly slight gains.   The Matson Money Fixed Income Fund (Short term Bonds)  is up 0.88% for the year.  1.  This is the first quarter in over 2 years that…

  • Should You Be Investing Based on Track Record?

    It seems like common sense to buy a product that is popular or seems to be doing well.  For example, a few of my friends will be buying the new I Phone 6S, largely because Apple has a proven track record of making successful and innovative phones.  As consumers, that is what we look for…

  • Second Quarter Market Recap

    The second quarter saw continued small increases in the stock market almost across the board.  The only real loser is the owner of long term fixed income, as rates increased bringing prices down rapidly.  The S&P 500 Index (Large Cap Stocks) rose 0.28% in the quarter, extending its streak to ten consecutive quarters of positive gains.…

  • The Worst Investment Advice Ever

    I go online to check Yahoo Finance everyday to see how the stock market and other markets are doing.  I try to stick to the numbers and real information, and avoid the headlines and articles most of the time.  But, about a week ago this was the headline that couldn’t be missed. Economist Predicts: “The Greatest Stock…