True Knowledge Doesn’t Come in Sound Bites

Our firm has been very aggressive in working with the media to help educate investors about the markets in these difficult investment times. Our associates have appeared on CNBC, the local news and written countless articles for journals, papers and websites that try to educate and inform. The difficulty of each of these tasks is that true knowledge, knowledge that is most useful to an individual client situation, rarely can be conveyed in the time or space allotted. In order for the media to convey information effectively it typically needs to be compressed and simplified to fit the parameters and knowledge level of a broad audience.

In the case of the expertise that dwells within our firm it is often frustrating that we can’t convey more of what we know to those who need the information. Our founder, Bill Few, would many times come into the office and call a firm meeting because he felt so passionate about some particular item “…that he needed us to know.” He would often say, “… there are so many things I need to tell you.” Thank goodness he had the radio show for so many years or I think he would have busted at the seams if he couldn’t help teach people about investments and the markets.

The market situation currently is very frustrating because it is so complex that it is hard to do the situation justice, given the constraints of television and print journalism. The economy is good. The consumer is still confident and buying. June retail sales (released 7/12) are strong and increasing. The business economy is growing in both the manufacturing and service components. The stock markets, from a technical viewpoint, are ripe for an upward bounce and investor sentiment, which is at historically bad levels, is also primed for a reversal. Yet, there are still some real concerns about the integrity and earnings power of a few select companies.

We know so much and the situation is very complex and we can’t explain all the opportunities and challenges in a sound bite. If you are concerned about your portfolio in this market you need to talk with someone who can personalize your situation. The markets, like life, are very complex and there are rarely any easy answers. Let us help you understand the complexities of the current environment by sharing our expertise with you. The answers to your financial issues in this market definitely require more time than the average sound bite will allow.