Wisdom for Your
Financial Journey

After hitting a record low of 0.52% last summer, the 10-year U.S. Treasury rate has risen quickly, almost tripling to 1.55% (as of March 9). This sharp rise in interest rates has hurt bond performance (because bond prices move inversely to interest rates), causing some investors to wonder what is driving rates higher.

March 1, 2021 After a year like 2020, what if all the turmoil brought us to an opportunity for significant economic growth? In Blue Trust's recent webinar, “New Administration Tax Plan 2021,” our Head of Investments, Brian McClard, and Head of Estate/Trust Planning, Alan Cox, spoke about the economic outlook under the new administration and pointed out several indicators that are surprisingly positive.

The meteoric rise and fall of stocks like GameStop and other favorites on Reddit captured everyone's attention earlier this year. No one imagined that mostly amateur investors could drive a beleaguered retailer's stock price up more than 1,000% in a week, without any notable reason for renewed optimism in the company's prospects.

Highlights from show aired January 23, 2021 Mark Elam, Senior Investment Strategist at Blue Trust, joins Mike to discuss how projected policies of the new administration may affect our economy. Questions answered include: How does the makeup of congress affect the economy? Does all of this stimulus money drive inflation up? It seems the U.S. Dollar is getting weaker in the global economy.

December 14, 2020 This year has seen a lot of change. Zoom meetings and virtual learning have become commonplace, as have massive economic and market stimulus by central governments. Against this backdrop, Bitcoin, a dominant cryptocurrency, has made a resurgence; it was up 174% this year (as of November 30), setting a record high of $19,850 per Bitcoin.

This Spring 2020 newsletter addresses the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging readers to maintain faith and find purpose during crisis. The publication emphasizes community support, spiritual resilience, and the importance of looking beyond immediate circumstances to find peace and opportunity to serve others in need.

During periods of market turbulence like the rapid stock declines of early 2020, investors benefit from maintaining perspective and avoiding reactive decisions. The piece examines historical market downturns, explains why volatility occurs during uncertainty, and recommends staying disciplined through rebalancing, resisting market timing, and reviewing long-term financial plans.

September 23, 2020 In our Christian walk, issues often arise that require us to consider our dual citizenship on earth and in Christ's Kingdom. Jesus understood this conflict and told us that we were to live in the world, but not to be of this world.

During market turbulence in early 2020, U.S. Treasuries provided portfolio protection while corporate bonds faced selling pressure, creating attractive opportunities. Blue Trust discusses why shifting intermediate-term portfolio allocations toward investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds may better position investors to exceed inflation over three to nine-year horizons.

August 10, 2020 After Congress failed to reach an agreement on a second stimulus package, President Trump signed four executive orders on August 8, 2020. Although Democrats and Republicans seemed to agree that a second round of direct payments is necessary to help Americans and the economy, the parties' differences on the cost of the overall bill and certain provisions resulted in failed negotiations.

As global economies reopen following pandemic lockdowns, several investment themes are likely to shape markets ahead, including increased localization of supply chains, new regulatory oversight across healthcare and other sectors, accelerated adoption of digital business models, and unprecedented fiscal stimulus.

Gold rallied 35% in 2020 driven by economic uncertainty from the pandemic, low opportunity costs relative to stocks and bonds, and concerns about dollar devaluation from government spending and monetary stimulus. While gold's volatility makes it unsuitable as a standalone investment, financial advisors view it as a potentially valuable diversification component for portfolios.