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The Markets & Gold Rise Together, Warrren Buffets Goes for Gold - What does it all mean?

The Year 2020 will go down as one of the most disruptive years in modern day life and perhaps the most paradoxical year in the markets history. One fine example of where this paradox is self-evident is what is happening to Gold. In a Risk-On environment, you would expect Gold to rise. A traditional safe haven in times of uncertainty, when the times are highly uncertain and investors get fearful, Gold is where investors rush to. A time tested stalwart of value, you can balance your potfolio risk with a portion of Gold.

However, what is unique during this time is that Gold has continued to rally even while the markets have retraced their march lows to now August re-test of the all-time market highs. The last time that happened was 1979 when both gold and the S&P500 made new highs.. Gold is now over $2,000 an ounce. Historic data show that gold has tended to continue to rally when it starts to trade in record territory and this rally is launching on the heels of a seven-year base which provides fundamental strength for a sustained rally.

Risk is difficult to quantify in a pandemic which has no clearly defined end point yet and an economy that is requiring enormous sums of capital to prop it up. The unprecedented amount of money printing in such a short time period is another reason why investors are moving to gold. How much more debt will it require to get through COVID-19 and is the will there to keep increasing the mountainous debt load if the crisis drags on longer than many expect? What if this wains? In addition, the historic low (close to negative) yields coupled with the money printing impact on the dollar, allow asset managers and investors to make a strong case to move to gold. As more certainty is reached with respect to a likely endpoint for the pandemic, the case for gold will likely weaken but we believe the inflationary impact of the combined stimulus infusions into the economy will still make Gold an attractive asset to hold for some time until the impact of this is more known.

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COVID-19 and The Implications of Rising National and Corporate Debt

The arrival of COVID-19 has caused the greatest disruption in the global economy since World War 2. It has exposed significant weaknesses in the modern day global economy and in the healthcare systems to respond to such a pandemic.

This article is going to focus on the impact that COVID-19 is having on the national debt, both globally and nationally and on corporations as well as the potential implications of the latter, especially as we do not know how long COVID-19 will be with us or when an effective vaccine will be proven out, distributed and administered.

At this stage in the pandemic we can point to actualities. The International Monetary Fund estimates that public debt as a percentage of GDP will rise above 130% in 2020 and 2021. It will exceed levels only seen during and after World War 2. Global debt is close to 331% of GDP or a staggering $258 Trillion and in more mature markets it is estimated to be as high as 393% of GDP. These numbers are hard to digest. Britain's national debt for example is forecasted to be at 418% of GDP in 2070. Only 4 years ago economists were forecasting it would be 87%.

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How Much Do You Need To Retire On?

There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to answering the question: "how much money will you need to comfortably retire on"? It is entirely dependent on your retirement goals, desired lifestyle and how flexible you are. 

The most common wisdom that you will find on the internet will tell you that the number is 70% of your pre-retirement income. That number will of course vary depending on your expenses which in turn will depend on where you are living. The good news is that - if you are flexible - there are different retirement options for almost every budget if you are willing to move where the costs can accomodate your income. For example an article in MoneyWise covers 20 different countries where you can retire on a lot less than you may think is possible.

Countries such as Portugal, Uruguay, France, Costa Rica, Portugal, Thailand are covered in the article where yes, appartment rentals can be found ranging from $350 to $750/month. If you have a retirement income of $2500-$3000/month for example, you may find that one of these countries could serve up a workable and enjoyable retirement. 

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The Status of Traditional Safe Havens & How Much Risk Is Right For You?

In a close to zero-interest and low bond yield environment alongside a massive expansion of the money supply (over 4 Trillion dollars to date) what choices do investors have with respect to selection of conservative safe haven assets that can protect from inevitable inflation and posible dilution in the value of the US dollar.

The disincentive for keeping money in the bank or in bonds has never been higher. Inflation will now outpace the (close to zero) yields in savings accounts or bonds. Effectively, your money while safe from losses, is now losing value.

The counter bet to inflation and market uncertaintly is of course Gold which has been on a tear this year, up 60%, surpassing all time highs. Gold has become a "risk-on" asset.

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The Investors & Retirees Reality - Living With Uncertainty & What to Do About it

"I dont understand why the Market is acting the way it is"? We hear this question all the time. It's a perfectly natural question and if someone gives you an answer, just know that there is at least a 50/50 probability that they are either correct or incorrect. No one, not even the so called experts know with certainty why the market acts the way it does. Yes, we can arrive at rational conclusions some of the time. For example, once the markets figured out that there would not be an easy short-term fix to the coronavirus and that this would have a negative impact on the economy, stocks fell dramatically. After the Federal Reserve and government promised to provide an almost unlimited backstop of financial support to calm the bond and credit markets, the markets shook off the downside and rallied back to what is now, not far off from the old all-time highs.

On the other hand, we are faced with the highest unemployment numbers since the great depression, the additional unemployment benefits are set to run out at the end of July, we are seeing record missed rent and mortgage payments and a coronavirus that is creating havoc to people health and the economy in hot spots all over the USA with no concensus on how to safely re-open the economy. The market has high hopes for a coronavirus vaccine, but what if those hopes are significantly delayed or dashed altogether? How long can the government and the Federal Resever keep funding everything as record defecits shoot even higher? How long can cities, states, schools survive without their staple revenue sources. And what about inflation? How will this impact the dollar, the economy and our every day lives?

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1600 South Main Street, Suite 190
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: 925-906-9800
Fax: 925-906-9884
info@hawleyadvisors.com

 

 

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