Our colleague Samantha Pahlow, CFTA, talked to AM Extra's Emily Burris and Travis Teich about the importance of 529 accounts on the eve of 529 Day.
Pahlow on Koin
Pahlow on Koin
Spring is in the air and it's also a good time to do a yearly review of your financial goals, and freshen up your financial acumen. Our colleague Samantha Pahlow, CFTA, talked to AM Extra's Emily Burris and Travis Teich about the importance of financial literacy too.
Jason Norris on KPTV
It can be stressful to watch your investments go up and down as markets fluctuate in response to economic policy changes. KPTV's Spencer Schacht sat down with our colleague Jason Norris, CFA recently to discuss investors' concerns - and how to stay the course.
Lago on CNBC Closing Bell
Mary Lago, CFP, CTFA®, Ferguson Wellman’s chief wealth strategist, joins CNBC’s Closing Bell to discuss our firm's "high-net-worth playbook."
Pahlow on KOIN Wallet Wednesday
Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA, was on KOIN AM Extra's Wallet Wednesday to discuss how to have a better relationship with your money in 2025.
Market Letter Third Quarter 2024
We present the third quarter 2024 Market Letter publication titled, “We’ve Landed,” featuring articles written by George Hosfield, CFA, Dean Dordevic and Joe Herrle, CFA.
Quarterly Publication Focus: Planning for our Children's Future
In our most recent Wealth Management Insights publication, Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA, provided a primer on considerations when naming minors beneficiaries of retirement and other financial accounts.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
The first three weeks of the second quarter have been tough for both equity and bond investors. After a great start to the year, there hasn't been any place for investors to hide in April. The chart below highlights that the three major equity classes, as well as bonds, have all posted negative returns, with Small Caps now down close to 4% for the year.
Houle on KOIN Wallet Wednesday
Is 3% the New 2%?
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of goods and services prices across the economy, and a popular gauge of inflation. The headline CPI rose 3.5% in March from a year earlier, which was higher than economists had forecast and an increase from February’s 3.2% reading. The Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy components, also rose more than expected, with medical care and auto insurance boosting the non-housing service prices.
Market Letter Second Quarter 2024: So Far, So Good
We present Market Letter publication for the second quarter 2024 titled “So Far, So Good” in which Chief Investment Officer George Hosfield, CFA, outlines our belief the Fed remains on course to deliver an ever-so-rare soft landing to this inflationary cycle. Dean Dordevic writes about the Japanese economy and Warren Buffett’s investment there in recent years since the introduction of the “Corporate Governance Code” and Jason Norris, CFA, provides an update on equity market valuations and how investors expect the market to grow for the remainder of the year.
What Goes Up, Must Come Down ... Eventually
This week investors shrugged off hotter-than-expected inflation data, one of the most important data inputs for the Fed in deciding its next policy moves. The impact of the Fed aggressively raising rates over the past year has brought inflation down from a whopping 9% in June 2022 to 3% by the end of 2023. The Fed’s ultimate target is 2%. Much like updating a computer, the last bit sometimes takes the longest.
S is for Shrinkflation
Over the last month, the term Shrinkflation has become more popular in the media. The term was broached by President Biden during a Super Bowl interview earlier this year, but has been gaining traction more recently (see chart below on Google search trends) due to a proposed bill in Congress, as well as Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster complaining on X (formerly Twitter).
Productivity = Prosperity
By March, our feelings of excitement for a new year have generally worn off and we have settled into our winter routines. The hope of an early spring and longer days are normally what carries us through the season, but this year, more excitement is brewing.
Ferguson Wellman Shareholders Elect Frankel and Norris to the Board
Josh Frankel, CFP®, and Jason Norris, CFA, were selected at Ferguson Wellman’s recent shareholder meeting to serve on the board of directors.
Just More of It
It was an action-packed week in the capital markets headlined by the Federal Reserve’s first meeting of 2024. The central bank decided to leave their benchmark interest rate unchanged at a 23-year high – a level at which it has been since July of last year.
Oregon Business Magazine Names Ferguson Wellman Number One on Financial Planners Powerlist
Ferguson Wellman has been named by Oregon Business magazine as a top financial planner on their annual Powerlist. Oregon Business ranked Ferguson Wellman first in the state on their list of 11 financial planning companies. The listing was compiled based upon assets under management in Oregon.
2024 Outlook Publication: Sticking the Landing
What's Next for Interest Rates?
One irony from the bond market in 2023 was that the year started with near unanimous calls for a recession, finished with an over 20% return for the S&P500 and consensus for a soft landing, yet the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury ended the year right where it started at 3.88%.
Holiday Jubilation
The Santa Claus Rally arrived early this year as investors’ wish for a pivot in Federal Reserve policy appears to be all but granted. After peaking at 9.1% in June of 2022, inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), now stands at 3.1% with increases in the price of gasoline, apparel and food materially lower.