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  • Expect the Unexpected
    In our last WJBlog , we discussed the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank ("SVB") and its investor implications. Fortunately, as of now, the bank failure has not spread to other banks. However, SVB's... READ MORE
  • 2023 Commentary and Outlook
    Happy New Year!  We hope your year is off to a good start. January was a banner month for stocks and bonds, up 8.0% and 3.3%, respectively. Usually, a good January means a good year. We will see. To... READ MORE
  • We Survived
    Successful investing is about survival. Survival means avoiding losses that can't be recovered when the market turns. Unfortunately, some investors will not survive 2022. Investors in... READ MORE
  • Ugh!
    The first half of 2022 is over, thankfully. It was, for some investments, the worst start to a year on record. Not only did stock and bond markets suffer, but the economy also did. Inflation... READ MORE
  • When Will It End?
    "The idea that the future is unpredictable is undermined every day by the ease with which the past is explained." We like this quote from Daniel Kahneman, one of the original Behavioral Finance... READ MORE
  • 2022 Review and Outlook – The Federal Reserve vs. Inflation
    Portfolio performance in 2021 ended on a solid note with a strong December after a weak November. Most portfolios were up double digits for the year. This performance extended a winning streak that... READ MORE
  • What Higher Inflation Means For Your Portfolio
    Recently we wrote a blog covering the signs of inflation we are currently experiencing and defining the type of inflation this could ultimately lead to. All of that is summed up here. This WJ Notes... READ MORE
  • New Funds in the Portfolio
    We recently made a few changes to portfolios and wanted to describe conceptually what these new funds are doing. We purchased three ETFs (exchange traded funds): Simplify Volatility Premium ETF... READ MORE
  • Questions About Rising Interest Rates
    Although most of the focus has been on stocks lately, it is bonds that have arguably had the more interesting year. Interest rates (which we will use the 10-year treasury yield to represent) have... READ MORE
  • It’s Over! What Next?
    Wow! What a year. A global pandemic, global recession, stock market crash, and V-shaped stock market rebound among many other things made the year unique. Coronavirus has and will dramatically change... READ MORE
  • Upstart Goes Public
    We have recently received an update from one of our core bond funds, the Stone Ridge Alternative Lending fund, or LENDX. As you may recall, this fund primarily buys thousands of small consumer loans,... READ MORE
  • WJ Virtual Luncheon Replay & Recent Trades
    We recently held our WJ Investor Luncheon, virtually of course. We discussed election results, recent investment performance, our expectations for future returns including the dismal forecast for... READ MORE
  • What the Election Means for Your Portfolio
    In case you have not heard, we have an important election coming up. According to politicians it is the most consequential election in American history. That is a pretty bold claim when considering... READ MORE
  • New Municipal Bond Fund added to Portfolios
    When we take a position in a fund, in most cases we intend to hold the fund indefinitely. However, sometimes there are reasons why we replace managers. As described in your Investment Policy... READ MORE
  • Trading at WJ
    On a recent conference call, we discussed the general reasons we trade portfolios, trades we have placed during the COVID crisis, and some recent/upcoming trades. In case you missed the call, we... READ MORE
  • How Does a Stock Market Crash Impact Your Financial Plan?
    The recent market decline brought to light a major concern shared by many of our clients. Will my financial plan still work after a stock market decline? During our most recent conference call, we... READ MORE
  • ROMO: A New Fund in Portfolios
    We recently placed several trades in portfolios. This WJNotes discusses one of the new funds we purchased: Strategy Shares Newfound/ReSolve Robust Momentum ETF (Ticker: ROMO). All our portfolios have... READ MORE
  • Is It Over?
    The decline in stock and bond markets related to Coronavirus began about two months ago. After a modest selloff in late February and early March, the decline accelerated and transformed into panic... READ MORE
  • CARES Act: What Retirees, Employees and Business Owners Should Know
    On March 27th, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act,” also known as the “CARES Act,” was signed into law. This is a $2 trillion emergency fiscal stimulus package intended... READ MORE
  • WJ Conference Call Recap
    Last week, we hosted a conference call with our clients to discuss the recent market environment, how we have  been positioned, and opportunities we see going forward. In addition, we received... READ MORE
  • Finding Opportunities and Dealing with Extreme Uncertainty
    “ There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy. ” - Alfred Henry Lewis 1906 This quotation seems to perfectly capture the fear generated by the Coronavirus. Obviously, there is also fear... READ MORE
  • Coronavirus Update
    As we are all now painfully aware, Coronavirus is here and making a huge impact on our everyday lives. School districts are closing, universities are finishing their semesters online, large events... READ MORE
  • Portfolio Positioning in Light of COVID-19
    Volatility in financial markets continues as the economic impact of Coronavirus is assessed. Markets are forward looking, meaning they attempt, through the action of millions of participants, to... READ MORE
  • How Does the SECURE Act Impact You?
    Back on December 20th, President Trump signed the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act” into law, which was part of a larger spending bill to continue funding the... READ MORE
  • Market Update & More!
    As the 4th quarter of 2019 begins, we make a few comments about recent market performance and portfolio positioning. We also discuss two recent announcements from providers we use. Where Are We?... READ MORE
  • Dividend Delusions
    This article is inspired by a client who recently asked what our thoughts were about an article titled, “3 Safe Dividend Funds Averaging 8% to Buy Today and Hold Forever.” This is a pretty fair... READ MORE
  • Climate Change And How It Impacts Reinsurance
    At WJ, we are committed to educating our clients about the strategies that make up their portfolio. One of the lesser understood strategies that we invest in is reinsurance, and as a result, we... READ MORE
  • Did you know WJ Interests has a blog?
    We invite you to subscribe to our new WJ Interests blog. By subscribing to the blog, you will receive financial insights from our advisors. The blog will be posted on a weekly basis and will include... READ MORE
  • And the Winner Is…Bonds
    Surprisingly, bonds beat all stock and most alternative asset classes over the past year as the following table shows: Markets results in 2018 were similar with cash beating bonds and stocks. In... READ MORE
  • Protect Your Cybersecurity
    Cybercrimes, fraud and identity theft are serious threats and are among the fastest growing crimes in America. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report in January 2019, over 26 million... READ MORE
  • How Much Does Trump Weigh?
    “In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine” - Benjamin Graham (taught Warren Buffett how to invest) Voting is based on emotion, is subjective... READ MORE
  • Recent Trades and Defensive Positioning
    In this WJ Notes, we discuss recent trades and current portfolio positioning. As we have discussed many times in the past, we are in a low return environment. Over the past five years, of the... READ MORE
  • Emerging Markets Dilemma
    Why do I own International emerging markets stocks in in my portfolio? They are down 15% this year while the US market is up? Why don’t we just sell them? We have received these types of questions... READ MORE
  • Performance Reviews & Updates
    In this WJ Notes we address three timely topics including: recent portfolio performance, a review of recent trading activity, and performance of the Stone Ridge Reinsurance Fund. Recent Portfolio... READ MORE
  • Cash Management in a Revived Interest Rate Environment
    Your WJ Portfolio Cash yields have finally moved from nothing to something, making management of cash balances worthwhile. For your managed investments at WJ Interests, when money sits in your... READ MORE
  • SEC’s Custody Rule and Impact on Money Transfers
    In a continued effort to protect clients, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) modified its Custody Rule requirement for Investment Advisors as it relates to transfers from one account to... READ MORE
  • Looking Back, Looking Forward
    In a sharp reversal from 2017’s unending gains, volatility has returned to the markets in 2018. Asset class leadership has also dramatically reversed with the former leader, International emerging... READ MORE
  • Property & Casualty Insurance Review
    If your home and automobile insurance policies have been renewed since Hurricane Harvey, you may have noticed a greater than usual increase in your premiums. According to the last update from the... READ MORE
  • The Track Record of Market Pundits
    If you have spent any time watching the market pundits on CNBC, you likely came away from it either very excited, or very worried. Often these shows or publications will feature very intelligent... READ MORE
  • An Easier Way to View All Your Financial Accounts
    Last week we announced the release of our new WJ Client Investment Portal App (“WJ App”) for Apple and Google devices. This is a major update and we hope it will make accessing important... READ MORE
  • The New WJ App
    We are pleased to announce a significant update to the WJ Client Investment Portal App (“WJ App”) for Apple and Google devices. The WJ App has been redesigned and is now available for both your... READ MORE
  • The Cost of Superior Returns
    We decided to write this WJNotes, not because the declines we've seen recently are that unusual considering market history, but because they were quite rapid and seemingly came out of nowhere.... READ MORE
  • The New Tax Law
    As many of you are aware, the new tax law, dubbed the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA), was passed at the end of last year. In this WJ Notes, we will summarize many of the tax changes that have taken... READ MORE
  • What in the world is a Bitcoin?
    The bitcoin mania is upon us. At the beginning of 2017, a single bitcoin cost $998.33. On December 31, 2017 that same bitcoin was worth $14,156.40, a more than 1,318% return (the price actually... READ MORE
  • Year-End Tax Tips & Strategies
    As we approach the end of 2017, it's important to be aware of some tax strategies that can be implemented. There are some strategies that can wait until your tax filing deadline, however, the... READ MORE
  • Upcoming Trades: New Reinsurance Mutual Fund
    Next week we are buying a fund called Stone Ridge Reinsurance Risk Premium Interval Fund (SRRIX) in most client portfolios. This fund invests in what are called Insurance Linked Securities (ILS). In... READ MORE
  • The 19 Questions to Ask Your Financial Adviser
    An article was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal by renowned author Jason Zweig titled, "The 19 Questions to Ask Your Financial Adviser". Zweig is the personal finance columnist for the... READ MORE
  • Fear and Greed
    “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful” - Warren Buffett You may be familiar with this Buffett quotation, but have you thought about what it really means? At WJ... READ MORE
  • Tax Relief After Hurricane Harvey
    We hope you and your family are safe. As most of us who call the Houston area home were impacted by Hurricane Harvey, please note that you may qualify for tax relief from the IRS due to the disaster... READ MORE
  • The Calm Before the Storm
    In light of a much-anticipated active hurricane season, we're reminded that now is the time to prepare for the proverbial storm. There are many key facets to being financially prepared including... READ MORE
  • We Keep Dancing – Part II
    As a follow up to our WJNotes last week . "Our responsibility now is to keep dancing, but closer to the exit and with a sharp eye on the tea leaves." - Ray Dalio, Head of the largest hedge fund in... READ MORE
  • We Keep Dancing
    When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance. We’re still dancing. - Chuck Prince The intent of... READ MORE
  • WJ Client Portal vs Schwab Statements
    Just over a year ago, we released our new WJ Client Investment Portal to replace our printed quarterly statement. Since that time, over 75% of our clients have logged into their portal. The feedback... READ MORE
  • Sorting Through Retirement Plans: A Guide for Small Businesses
    Retirement plans offer significant tax benefits to owners, increase employee retention and make companies more attractive to employees in a competitive work environment. Unfortunately, selecting a... READ MORE