Articles by Clint Edgington, CFA®

2012 Q1 Market Commentary

As the U. S. economy continued its slow march toward recovery and Europe managed to fight off the threat of a Greek default on key bond payments, even higher gas prices couldn’t stop equities from powering upward.

Roth 401(k)

While taxes are fresh on your mind, now might be the best time to review whether you should contribute to your 401(k) with pre-tax or after-tax money. Contributions that are put back before-taxes are the Traditional 401(k), while those that are put back after-taxes are the Roth 401(k). Your tax planner can help you in determining if this is advantageous for you.

Mid Year Portfolio Checkup

A slew of economic events has occurred in the first half of 2011, and with it comes portfolio changes. With the end of the Fed’s bond purchases (“QE2”) and the Greek austerity measures behind us (for now), it’s a great time for a review of your portfolio. A few simple things to look at…1.

2011 Q2 Market Update

After strong first-quarter gains in the stock markets, it was mostly downhill from there. Following April’s year-to-date highs, when the Russell 2000 hit its highest level on record, week after week of declines battered all four U. S. indices.

Business Owners- Contribute $260K/year into your 401(k)!

Ok, so it’s not technically a 401(k) that you can defer income into, but many are surprised by just how much can be deferred into retirement plans by using advanced planning. A recent interaction with a business owner is representative of many conversations we have. Mr. Johnson (fictitious name) has worked hard and re-invested in his business for many years. Mr. and Mrs.

Historical Context to the current Bull Market

March 9th marked the 2nd birthday of our current bull market since the S&P 500 bottomed on 3/9/09¹. This bull market has been vigorous compared to past bull markets which leaves many to question how long it can continue.

2011 Q1 Market Update

Equity Markets

Worldwide economic growth shrugged off daunting headlines and markets continued their expansion in the first quarter of 2011. U. S.

Summer 2010 Market Update

Market Update:Our current sunny skies certainly have not matched the market performance this quarter!Investors’ concerns about European debt issues were dampened slightly, and the focus turned to the overall pace of economic recovery, which you can see was disappointing from the graph below.

Still Waiting on the Sideline? Methods to get your money working for you again!

MARKET REENTRY

Watching the market go by? Here's how to step back in. . .

First, understand why you chose to get out in the first place. If. . . Your portfolio was riskier than you thought and the losses were more than you can handle, this may mean that even after you are fully back into the market, you should keep portfolio risk lower than what it was before.

Roth Conversion- The Devil is...

The Devil is in the Details!"In-Service Distribution"Many are unaware that they can likely roll their assets out of a 401(k) with their current employer. Your "Plan Document" will have rules on this "in-service distribution". You should ask your plan adminstrator for your "Plan Document".