Our Core Beliefs

Millard & Company's investment approach is based on four core beliefs. Here they are. (Find more videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/tryonite.)

1 - By now, all clients should have received their reports for the second quarter. The quarter was a rocky one: full of global sound and fury, with the upshot being a 3.3% drop in the S&P 500. And with many looming questions surrounding Greece, the European recession, a sluggish domestic recovery, and a contentious presidential campaign, the next three months could be another adventure -- but we can't say for sure. As we said last week, we must not anticipate, but instead try to prepare our portfolios for many possible scenarios. 

2 - This week's video happens to be on the very topic of preparing portfolios for various scenarios.

3 - One final reminder: our Investment Roundtable event with Steve MacNamara is tomorrow at 5:30. Steve is our investment researcher, and he's traveling here from his office in Connecticut to share his insights. This is as challenging an investment climate as I have ever seen, so this particular session is very timely. To reserve your spot, you can click here, email Michele at michele@low-stress-investing.com or call her at 859-7001, ext. 2. 

Have fantastic week!

 ~Andy

Proud to be An American

A client recently received a letter indicating that she had won a multi-million-dollar sweepstakes. Something didn't seem quite right, so she brought the letter to us for confirmtion. Let's look at it together, shall we? (Find more videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/tryonite.)

1 - All right, clients, it's time to make your plans: our Investment Roundtable event is one week from tomorrow. Our investment researcher, Steven MacNamara, CFA, is traveling here from his office in Connecticut to share his insights, and I'll chime in with a few as well. If you have any interest in learning more about our investment process and how we're dealing with the craziness that is 2012, come and chat. It should be a lively, informal conversation. To reserve your spot, you can click here, email Michele at michele@low-stress-investing.com or call her at 859-7001, ext. 2.

2 - Have you ever won the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes? One of our clients received a letter the other day indicating that she had won over $2 million, but something told her she should show me the letter before claiming her prize. In this week's video, we turn a critical eye on this suspicious document and look for the telltale signs of a fake.

3 - The markets are always reminding us to not count our chickens -- or to count them out. The second quarter just ended, and it saw the S&P 500 drop by 3.3% -- but it would have been much worse without Friday's 2.5% surge on the heels of a promising eurozone deal. How long the optimism will last is anyone's guess. As always, we must not anticipate, but instead try to prepare our portfolios for many possible scenarios. It's not easy, but we work diligently at it. Sure you don't want to come to the Investment Roundtable?

4 - Our office will be closed on Wednesday for the 4th of July. Our nation is going through some crazy stuff at the moment, and life in these United States is changing fast, but aren't you glad you live here?

Have an All-American week!

~Andy

PS - On a personal note: I have a friend named Jerry Corn; we met 12 years ago as volunteers at the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. Jerry has a compelling personal story he wants to share with the world, so I helped him by making a 15-minute video interview, which you can watch by clicking here.

Andy Explains Bond Yields

 You've read that bond yields are rising in some European countries. What does that mean? And how does it affect you? Juliet helps Andy explain the answer. Find more videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/tryonite.

1 - It seems as though we can't shake a European influence on the financial headlines. This week was no exception, as Spanish bond yields have global investors quaking in their loafers. For this week's video, I recruited Juliet to assist me in explaining how bond yields can change suddenly, and what it means to us as investors.  

2 - My good buddy Cooper Flack sent me a link to an excellent article ("So long, suckers - I'm leaving Wall Street") by David Weidener, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch. He describes 15 conclusions from his years covering the financial center of the world. Some of those conclusions agree with what I have said for years ("simple is better;" "you can't time the market"); others I have somewhat of a beef with ("mutual funds are a waste of time"). But it is thought-provoking and enjoyable. You may want to click here to read it.

3 - Reminder to clients: our Investment Roundtable event is rapidly approaching on July 10. We have confirmed that our investment researcher, Steven McNamara, CFA, will be here in person to take your questions. To reserve your spot, you can click here, email Michele at michele@low-stress-investing.com or call her at 859-7001, ext. 2.

Have an sun-drenched week!

-Andy

Show & Tell: TDAI Elite Summit

Andy spent last week at the TD Ameritrade Institutional Elite Summit in Laguna, CA. This week's video is a report of the event's highlights. Keep watching: the artist near the end is fascinating -- and he had a powerful message for the attendees. Find more videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/tryonite.

1 - I spent last Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the TD Ameritrade Institutional Elite Summit in Laguna, California. This was my first time at this particular event (it is by invitation only), and it was one of the best I have ever experienced. If you can spare 4 1/2 minutes, take a look at the video report above.   

2 - In case you're wondering who pays for these conferences, here's the answer: Whenever I take a business trip, Millard & Company pays my travel and lodging expenses. We are a client of TD Ameritrade Institutional; and just as we host occasional events for our own clients, TDA hosts events for its clients. We don't charge admission to our client events, nor does TDA charge admission to theirs. Other conferences (such as those put on by the Financial Planning Association and other groups) do charge a registration fee. In all cases, however, those who attend must cover their own travel and lodging costs, which can be substantial.  

3 - Reminder to clients: Please register for our Investment Roundtable client event on July 10. We have confirmed that our investment researcher, Steven McNamara, CFA, will be here in person to take your questions. To reserve your spot, you can click here, email Michele at michele@low-stress-investing.com or call her at 859-7001, ext. 2. 

Have an educational week!

-Andy

Old Paradigms vs. New Realities

 In this excerpt from our May 15 New Realities: Investing event, we explore some traditional investing assumptions -- old paradigms -- and contrast them with the new realities of the 21st Century. These new realities require us to recognize that old ways of thinking may no longer apply. Find more educational videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/tryonite

1 - Here's an object lesson in why you shouldn't pay too much attention to the daily movements of the stock market: On Friday, June 1, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 275 points, reflecting (and also causing) fear and trembling throughout the investing world. It plunged a further 292 points the following Monday, indicating that the collective universe of investment wisdom was expecting dark times ahead. But the very next morning marked the start of a four-day rally where the same index rose by 453 points. That rally is expected to continue today. The reason for the upswell is news from Europe that....  

2 - ...But you don't really care about the latest news from Europe, do you? You probably shouldn't. Today's uplifting news swiftly gives way to tomorrow's despair, and then to more exuberance. It's like the shifting winds. What really matters is the tradewind: the general long-term direction. But unlike meteorological tradewinds, we won't know which way this one is blowing until we reach the far shore. We can take some assurance from the fact that the long-term direction has always been positive; try not to let the current storms distract you from that fact. 

3 - Clients: By now you should have received an email invitation to our Investment Roundtable client event with Steve McNamara on July 10. To reserve your spot, you can email Michele at michele@low-stress-investing.com or call her at 859-7001, ext. 2.

4 - In case you were nowhere near Polk County, NC this past weekend, the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival came and went on Friday and Saturday. As has been the case for the last 12 years, I expended many hours and calories managing the traffic and parking for the event. Preliminary indications are that we had the largest attendance in a long time. It seems that several factors contributed: an improving economy and lower gas prices, of course, but perfect weather, free admission until 2:00pm on Friday, and blanket coverage/promotion by WSPA-TV in Spartanburg brought in people from all over the area. The huge crowd led to a few, shall we say, challenges -- but overall it was a wonderful weekend for our community.

Have an awesome  week!

-Andy