Wednesday Reading List

June 19, 2024

Election Risk Returns by Charles Schwab Asset Management

Stock market volatility is at very low levels, but it could pick up (and indeed already has in France) due to potential populist gains in worldwide elections. Investors shouldn’t overreact to short-term moves tied to elections surprises as they can quickly reverse. In the long run a global populist shift creates the potential for policies that slow exports and raise inflation.

Travel agents are back by Business Insider

I’ve been hearing this anecdotally, but it’s interesting to see that younger travelers have brought back travel agents for convenience, efficiency, and help when things go wrong.

Chasing the Biggest Stocks by A Wealth of Common Sense

Lots of attention is being paid to the largest stocks in the U.S. right now, but it’s not normal for the biggest stocks in the index to outperform. “History shows the best time to buy these companies is before they reach the top 10…[O]nce companies become so large it becomes much harder to keep up the same levels of growth.”

We discussed this earlier on the Wealthy Behavior podcast – recapped here.

32 of the nation’s 200 largest housing markets are back to pre-pandemic inventory levels by ResiClub

Three years ago none of the nation’s largest housing markets had inventory levels above pre-pandemic levels. We’re now up to 32, mostly in Texas and Florida. The biggest inventory gains are in the South and the fewest are in the Northeast and Midwest, meaning the strongest price gains the last two years have come in the Northeast and Midwest.

Why Front-Page News Can Mislead Investors by Morningstar

I’ve written about this before. The news reports what is going on today. The markets are forward looking. This article shares numerous great examples to make the point that the front page has the negative news to sell headlines, the back of the paper has the numbers you need to dig into for opportunities.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It? by Heritage Financial

Summer is upon us. It’s the time of year when people start planning their vacations, and one common question we get asked is, “Should I purchase travel insurance?” Our answer is usually “it depends” since every trip is different and every client situation is unique. Some are comforted having a robust policy in case anything goes wrong while others prefer to save money for their upcoming trip by skipping insurance all together. Here are some things to consider when deciding if travel insurance is right for you.

ICYMI:

The New England Economy

Checking in on the local economy, including the jobs market in all sectors, housing, inflation, and more.

Book Recommendation

Entrances and Exits by Michael Richards

I enjoyed this memoir by the guy who played Kramer in Seinfeld and then ultimately “canceled himself” after a heinous outburst at a comedy show.