First – Atlas 2020 Market Outlook will be emailed out end of December 2019.

Second – We expanded “Fun Links” section from your feedback.

Incredibly its December 2019 and remember when I was working on the 2019 Market Outlook. We had a major pullback the last three(3) months of 2018 that caused some people to panic, but by April, the market had recovered all of its Q4 2018 losses and extended gains throughout the balance of 2019. Investment, IRA and 401(k) accounts soared in 2019 in anticipation of a Trade Deal (which hasn’t happened), a rise in wages (that barely happened), improving Corporate Earnings (which essentially remained flat in 2019) and the fact there is no where else to put your money to invest. Other than Real Estate and your business if you are an entrepreneur, the only place to really put your money was the market. This has lifted stock prices and pushed the market to new all-time highs.

Even with all the headwinds, no Trade Deal (yet, but we hear rhetoric every week), Impeachment inquiry and now hearings start this month, Brexit not settled yet, a divided country and the Presidential Election “less” than a year away, the market is continuing its upward march.

Its that time of the year when investors do some “tax selling” to offset gains from the year and fund managers sell to lock-in profits to show nice gains for the year. As we approach the last two weeks, expect volume to slow down in the markets as most investment houses have make the moves they wanted to and/or have taken off the final two weeks of the year. We could copy and paste this paragraph into EVERY December Newsletter in the past and future. It is just the way it is on Wall Street.

But December is a great time for YOU to reflect on how you invested during 2019 and prepare yourself for 2020. We will save our predictions for our Atlas 2020 Market Outlook Edition, but expect “serious” volatility in the markets depends on the progress of select Candidates. Most of it is noise and a media distraction to talk about something to stir emotions. Ultimately, the majority of what the media considers to be important with the candidates is B.S. on both sides. You need to focus on what is important to you and your future. That’s about as political we will get in the newsletter.

Your portfolio should be prepared for 2020 if we have spoken to you, or at least we discussed a strategy to put in place for what will be done to your portfolio before year-end and throughout 2020. We have specific strategies in place to prepare for 2020 and want to make sure those of you we have spoken to have taken action or understand what is to come. As we have always said, if you can’t sleep or feel physically ill when it comes to how your money is invested because of the economy, market fluctuations, political winds, etc., there are other choices for how your money could and should be invested. Call us to discuss. No reason to have investing affect your health.