By Bradley Williams, Lowe Wealth Advisors Chief Investment Officer Precious metals can be a potential defense against currency devaluation and offer possible protection against currency wars. Currency wars are effectively part of the end‐game that central banks promulgate through quantitative easing. The quantitative easing is meant to stimulate growth by lowering interest rates, creating additional
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The investment landscape has followed a remarkable path over the past several years, and interest rates in particular. Despite countless forecast to the contrary, most market interest rates have continued to trend lower. Now more recently a growing array of deposit accounts and fixed income securities have moved through what was thought to be a
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Bradley Williams, Lowe Wealth Advisors Chief Investment Officer January 12, 2015 Despite international turmoil, mixed global economic data and the wind-down of the Fed’s quantitative easing program, the U.S. equity markets enjoyed another year of solid gains in 2014. The S&P 500 delivered a total return of 13.7% and marked its sixth consecutive annual gain –
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New Economic Drivers are Required It’s all systems go for the U.S. economy. Well, nearly all systems go. Job growth recently has been superb, with the nation adding nearly three million jobs last year. Job quality has improved with construction, manufacturing and financial services each chipping in a considerable number of net new jobs. Gas
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Lowe Wealth Advisors is pleased to present a replay of our December 15 call on the energy sector. By listening to the call you acknowledge that you have read the below disclaimer and compliance information. Listen to the replay here:   Compliance Disclaimer Lowe Wealth Advisors is an SEC registered investment adviser that maintains a principal place
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No Thanksgiving Pardon for Oil While markets here in the U.S. were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, OPEC leaders were meeting in Vienna to discuss production cuts that could help offset the precipitous price decline oil has experienced since hitting an interim high in July. As is more often the case, however, the members of
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U.S. Economy Gains Steam, World Hits the Brakes America Widens the Growth Gap The second and third quarters of 2014 represent a marked improvement from the weather-afflicted start of the year. Construction projects that were delayed by the harsh winter are now underway, auto sales are surging, the nation supports 2.635 million more jobs than
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Last week was volatile and saw broad-based declines, with the weakest performance still associated with smaller companies. The main cause was weaker economic data from Europe and commodity price declines, although other factors such as the international health crisis caused by Ebola and select earnings warnings factored into the mix.  The correction in the S&P
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Last week, Greg, David, Jennifer and Josh attended the Financial Planning Association of Maryland’s two day symposium.  The program featured a presentation by T. Rowe Price economist Alan Levenson, an analysis on optimal portfolio withdrawal strategies, an update on estate planning laws and many more sessions.  The program was insightful and provided practical knowledge which
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