The Evolution of Provident
Like the letterhead says, we are now Provident Investment Management. While nothing has changed operationally in the few days since the transition, it still feels like a big change for someone like me...
View ArticleMarch Investment Comments
Investors have had to navigate some choppy waters this year. In January, the S&P 500 lost 3.5%. According to Lipper Inc., investors reacted by withdrawing $18.8 billion from U.S. stock mutual and...
View ArticleOne IRA Rollover per 12 Months
What is an IRA rollover? The IRS defines an IRA rollover as a distribution from an IRA that is payable to the IRA account owner, who must then deposit the proceeds to the same or another IRA within 60...
View ArticleJune Investment Comments
As winter (thankfully!) turns into spring, the moderate recovery continues. The National Bureau of Economic Research judges that the U.S. economy began expanding again in June 2009. This means the...
View ArticlePhilmont Scout Ranch
“Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished without the will to start, the enthusiasm to continue and, regardless of temporary obstacles, the persistence to complete.” Waite Phillips “It was the...
View ArticleOctober Investment Comments
U.S. growth remains a little tepid, but we seem to be in better straits than most of the rest of the world. The S&P 500 rallied 4% in August, touching 2,000 for the first time in its history on...
View ArticleAugust Investment Comments
If you don’t understand what the Greek government is doing, you aren’t the only one—the Greek government doesn’t seem to know either. Just one week after Greek voters turned down Europe’s latest offer...
View ArticleFinancial Bubbles
It hasn’t been much fun lately to be an investor. The S&P 500 hadn’t seen a 10% drop, a so called “market correction,” since 2011. However, all that changed recently as the index hit a low of...
View ArticleInterest Rates and Oil
By the time you receive this month’s Investment Comments, you have probably learned there is finally a new chapter in the multiyear drama over interest rates. The Federal Reserve last raised rates in...
View ArticlePsychoanalyzing “Mr. Market”
During stock market corrections like this, I like to go back and read Ben Graham’s allegory of “Mr. Market.” I believe it to be the single most important concept in investing. Rereading the below...
View ArticleMay Investment Comments
In early April, the market reached its highest levels of 2016 (so far) as signs of economic stability and delayed interest rate hikes encouraged investors. There may be a bit more negative news ahead,...
View ArticleCharitable Donation Strategies to Save on Taxes
Do you want to make a donation to your favorite charity? Of course you could write a check to the organization and claim a tax deduction. However, the following two strategies will help you realize...
View ArticleBuyer Beware
Yellow flags abound when making even a cursory review of annuities: Anything that uses two sets of books is immediately suspect. Would you invest in something that calls the return a “roll-up rate”...
View ArticleNew Year’s Resolutions – Financial and Otherwise
The holidays are an enjoyable time of thanksgiving and festivities but also an opportunity for personal reflection. The turning of the calendar provides a natural focal point as we think about ways to...
View ArticleThe Benefits of Saving and Investing Early
For many young adults, the idea of saving and investing for the future is easier said than done. It is a challenge to contemplate retirement when you are young and your focus is on starting a career...
View ArticleJuly Investment Comments
The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics release. A tightening labor market ought to push wages higher, but average hourly wage growth remains subdued at around...
View ArticleIntroducing Stephanie Petersen
I would like to introduce myself as the newest member of the Provident team. I have had the pleasure of already meeting some of our clients and look forward to meeting more in the future. Growing up,...
View Article
