The COVID-19 pandemic has affected numerous aspects of our daily lives. We are isolated from friends and family, forced to change long-awaited plans and unsure of what the economic future holds. Things that felt important six weeks ago may suddenly feel unimportant or even be forgotten entirely, but it is critical to maintain a long-term perspective when it comes to investing and planning, even in the face of short-term disruption. During these stressful and uncharted times, it is important to stay focused on preserving both your physical and mental well-being, along with your financial well-being.

It’s hard enough being an investor in good markets, but when markets are volatile – and recently they’ve been extremely volatile – it’s easy to focus on minimizing short-term pain and forget why you chose to invest in the first place. Host John Locke welcomes DHG Wealth Advisors president Will Sneed to discuss the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a global health pandemic that is having an enormous impact across the world, and our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted.  At DHGWA, our passion is to enrich our clients' lives by providing financial clarity and peace of mind. While it’s impossible to know what the outcomes of this global health crisis will be, and how long it will last, we are committed to providing insights on global market activity, and what that means for you. We take our responsibility as your advisor very seriously and are here to help you navigate through this storm.  The latest brief from DHGWA Insights looks at the recent market volatility and reminds investors to stay focused on their long-term goals.

When a market reaction is as violent as the current one, it is always due to fear. More specifically, fear of the unknown. Having no idea what will occur tomorrow, much less the next several weeks, months or years in the future, allows human emotions and psyches to run rampant and envision the absolute worst possible situation.

Scott Bosworth from Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) joins the DHGWA Insights Podcast to tell the incredible (and disastrous!) tale of Sir Isaac Netwon’s Investment in the South Sea Company. The story illustrates how our psychology, although it means well, can lead us to make sub-optimal, puzzling, and in some cases just plain wrong decisions that can hinder our financial success.

Signed into law at the end of 2019, the SECURE Act – Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act – represents the most extensive change to retirement legislation since 2006. The SECURE Act aims to improve retirement confidence and security for individuals in the U.S. to gain easier access to retirement plans.

There is a purpose to having money and growing your wealth, but what money can’t do is create purpose in and of itself.

Dollie Halford | CFP®, CDFA®

C. Skotty Wannamaker

Handling personal finances can be complicated at times; however, managing finances while also facing divorce can be even more complex. Divorce can bring an unwanted combination of emotional disruption and significant financial changes. Whether you face divorce currently or in the future, the following considerations and examples may help you reach your best financial situation as you work alongside your team of trusted advisors.

The traditional path to saving and investing has been to focus on the future (retirement), and rely solely on numbers and return on investment (ROI). However, this approach often can be misleading because it doesn’t consider your individual circumstances. “Beating the market” is often an artificial objective because it is not likely to have a substantive impact on your unique situation. Consider this: what does beating the market by one percent less (or more) mean to how you live your life? Do market returns have an impact on how you live your life?

By now, you’ve probably seen a few – or a few thousand – retrospectives on the past year and the past 10 years … with a few 20-year reflections thrown in. Maybe it’s the nice, round new year number. Maybe it’s the surprisingly strong 2019 returns, even though there was plenty of room for doubt throughout. Or maybe it’s the wishful thinking that “2020” might finally offer us the perfect vision we’ve lacked so far. Whatever the reason, it can be entertaining to reminisce about the year just ended, and guess at what the next 12 months may bring. But, as Jeff Sommer of The New York Times said, “It is the time of year for predictions and I’ll make one: You will be better off ignoring the Wall Street stock-market predictions for 2020.”