Chart Series

A Brief History of the Ups and Downs of the Market

Investing in the stock market is a lot like riding a roller coaster—you know there will be drops, but that doesn’t mean your stomach won’t lurch when they happen. Every investor dreams of a smooth, uphill ride to wealth, but in reality, markets take detours, hit potholes, and sometimes feel like they’ve been hijacked by a mischievous toddler at the controls. Yet, history shows that those who hang on tight and resist the urge to jump off mid-ride are usually the ones who reach their destination with the best returns. On average, the S&P 500 has increased in price by…
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Yearly Asset Class Returns Through 2023

Key take aways Diversification is a great way to reduce the volatility of your portfolio. It is hard to predict which asset class will be the winner from year to year. How do you read the chart? The chart presents the annual returns for 9 major investment asset classes from 2009 to 2023. A tenth box is added to represent a sample "Asset Allocation" portfolio as discussed below. Each asset class and portfolio is assigned a color. Here is a guide to the labels and what they mean:  Equity or Stocks Large Cap is the return of the largest 500 companies by…
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Yearly Asset Class Returns Through 2022

Key take aways Diversification is a great way to reduce the volatility of your portfolio. It is hard to predict which asset class will be the winner from year to year. How do you read the chart? The chart presents the annual returns for 9 major investment asset classes from 2008 to 2022. A tenth box is added to represent a sample "Asset Allocation" portfolio as discussed below. Each asset class and portfolio is assigned a color. Here is a guide to the labels and what they mean: Equity or Stocks Large Cap is the return of the largest 500 companies by…
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