After the SECURE 2.0 Act was signed into law at the end of 2022, we highlighted some of the implications for business owners and savers. One such highlight that we want to focus further on is the tax credits offered… Read More >
SECURE Act 2.0: Highlights for Employers and Savers
The SECURE 2.0 Act was signed into law on December 29, 2022, and the implications for both business owners and savers are prevalent. Some of the important highlights include potential savings for employers, the increased emphasis on Roth options, and… Read More >
Are a Few Low-Cost Investment Options Enough?
Some 401k Plan Sponsors have taken the approach of providing a broad range of investment options hoping that providing a few, low-cost index funds would fulfill their fiduciary duty to monitor fees and expenses of their plan. The logic here… Read More >
Should I Check the Per Stirpes Box?
Many people save for retirement in a defined-contribution retirement plan (like a 401k) or an individual retirement account (traditional or Roth IRA). It is important to designate beneficiaries for accounts. The forms, often seemingly simple to fill out, have hidden… Read More >
PW&Co Serves as Municipal Advisor to the City of Birmingham on Major Financing
Porter White & Company served as municipal advisor to the City of Birmingham on the City’s Tuesday, October 20 refunding of $179 million of general obligation debt, a substantial portion of the City’s outstanding debt to achieve significant interest savings…. Read More >
PW&Co Advises Birmingham Airport Authority on $102,130,000 Refunding
Porter White & Company (“PW&Co”), a Birmingham-based municipal advisor, is pleased to announce that it served as the municipal advisor to the Birmingham Airport Authority (the “Authority”) on the issuance of $102,130,000 Airport Revenue Bonds, Series 2020, dated July 9,… Read More >
Reflections on Markets During the Pandemic – 2Q 2020
While following events closely during the second quarter of 2020 when our society shut down for almost a month and then started reopening, a few important investment themes emerged. I. S&P 500 Recovered but Rates Stayed Low. While the equity… Read More >
Estimating Bond Returns
Many people find the performance of bonds, and particularly bond funds, confusing. We know that if we buy a bond for $100 that matures in 5 years and pays a $5 coupon (or 5% yield), then we will earn 5%… Read More >
Do Investment Consultants Pick Winners?
Investors hire advisors for a number of reasons, but the primary reason is usually that they want help choosing investments. Individuals typically rely on brokers or investment advisors. Institutions are served by “investment consultants” who specialize in helping them manage… Read More >
Thoughts on Brexit
Last Thursday, June 23, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. On Friday, June 24, equity markets worldwide lost over $2 trillion dollars with percentage declines outside of Great Britain generally exceeding those on the London… Read More >
The Role of Bonds in a Portfolio
When markets become more volatile, it is a good time to reflect on the role of bonds in a portfolio. While we do not recommend reacting to short-term changes in market movement, we do think it is a good time… Read More >
Remember the Lost Decade
Five years ago, the financial press was talking about the “lost decade.” The S&P 500 had not earned an investor any money, even when including dividends, for the first decade of this century (ending December 2009). While 2009 saw stocks… Read More >
Projecting Long Term Returns
One of our fundamental responsibilities as an investment manager is to build sound investment portfolios. The objective of our portfolios is to meet the fundamental return needs of our clients while taking an acceptable level of risk. Inevitably, this requires… Read More >
Have the Markets Entered a Danger Zone?
Robert Schiller, author of “Irrational Exuberance” and recent Nobel Prize winner, has been credited with predicting the last two market crashes. His preferred metric of value for the stock market is the “Cyclically Adjusted Price Earnings (CAPE)” ratio. He makes… Read More >
Projecting 10 Year Portfolio Returns
Answering the following questions requires a view on future stock and bond portfolio returns: “How much can an endowment disburse and maintain its value?” “How much do I need to save for retirement?” “What is the likelihood of doubling my… Read More >
Should We Rebalance Our Balanced Portfolios?
In our last commentary (IMC 13), we looked at rebalancing an all stock portfolio. (If you didn’t read this post, you might want to review it here before continuing.) We looked at the case of an account that only included… Read More >
Should We Rebalance Our Stock Portfolios?
When we manage client accounts, we typically devise asset allocation policies (or portfolio models) that specify the amount (in percentage terms) that we will try to hold of each investment option in the account. As time goes by, the investment… Read More >
Job Recovery – Are We There Yet?
While the great recession is starting to fade and markets are reaching new highs, the Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates at historically low levels. One explanation for the Fed inaction is employment levels. There remain fewer people working now… Read More >
