Asset Planning, Inc Blog

Our office will be closed on Monday, September 8th in observance of Labor Day.

We will resume our normal hours on Tuesday, September 9th.

We hope you enjoy your Labor Day!

In observance of 4th of July, our office will be closed Friday, July 3rd.

We will resume normal business hours on Monday, July 6th.

Wishing all of our clients a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Volatility has surged in financial markets, as investors react to the potential economic and earnings fallout from the rapid global spread of the coronavirus. Given what has been historic volatility, we wanted to provide you with a market update that helps to separate fact from fiction and put this market turmoil in the appropriate context.

Over the past month, equity markets have dropped sharply as new cases of the coronavirus burgeon around the world. That is the primary, but not the only, reason for the recent declines. As of this writing, there are just over 200,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide, 100,000 of which are still “active cases.” In the United States, there are approximately 7,000 coronavirus cases.

On March 9, U.S. markets and the economy were dealt another surprise blow, when Saudi Arabia effectively abandoned OPEC-mandated production levels and began to dramatically discount oil prices and increase oil production. The move was in direct response to Russia not agreeing to comply with proposed “OPEC+” production cuts, and essentially, an oil price war broke out between the two countries (Saudi Arabia and Russia) that saw oil futures collapse nearly 25% in a single day.

In the past, low oil and gasoline prices would have been a positive for the U.S. economy, but a lot has changed in the past few years. The U.S. is now the largest oil producer in the world, and the U.S. energy industry is valued at more than $340 billion. With oil prices so low, many U.S. energy firms will have to reduce production and payroll, which will hit both earnings and the economy. This oil price war directly contributed to the markets taking another leg lower during the week ended March 13.

Finally, in the days leading up to this writing (March 18), stocks have dropped even further in response to the extreme social distancing measures being implemented across the country. These measures, which include the cancellation of virtually every major sports season, travel bans from Europe and parts of Asia, the closing of bars and restaurants, the mass instituting of work-from-home practices, school closures, and curfews, are intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Yet they also will have a significant and negative economic impact on the travel, leisure, beverage and restaurant industries to name just a few of the segments that will be hardest hit. The cumulative impact of these measures materially increases the chances of a recession in 2020, which is something virtually no one thought possible just six weeks ago.

Positively, the U.S. government is acting to support the economy and that support has ramped up dramatically in the last few weeks. There are two economic supports bills that are currently making their way through Congress and a third has already become law. Each is designed to help a portion of our population bridge the economic gap until the spread of the virus peaks and begins to decline.

The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, has cut interest rates to zero percent to help the economy. The Fed also has implemented several important measures to provide short-term cash for corporations and to ensure there’s plenty of capital for the broader banking system. Those measures are working to help keep the banking and financial systems functioning in an orderly manner.

Yet despite this support, which is an important economic positive, the world understandably looks very scary to many people right now.

Across the nation, and the world, roads are mostly empty, office buildings are vacant, schools are closed and normal life as we have known it has largely shut down. Yet it’s important to remember that this historic market volatility, along with these societal disruptions, are temporary. At some point, the spread of the virus will peak and begin to recede.

Similarly, these social distancing measures, while unsettling, are also only temporary. Our children will once again return to school and adults will return to work. Air travel will resume, cruise ships will set sail again, and the U.S. economy, which is by far the most flexible and resilient in the world, will recover.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve witnessed near panic, both in regular society as well as financial markets. But as we all know, the worst thing to do during a panic is to panic. That’s because panic leads to hasty, short-term decisions that jeopardize your long-term best interests.  

Meanwhile, shares of some of the most-profitable, well-run companies in the world are now trading at substantial discounts to levels of just a month ago, and history has shown us that over the longer term, these tumultuous episodes can create fantastic investment opportunities, and some of the most ideal buying conditions the market can offer.

As has been said many times over the past few weeks, we are all in this together. That’s why we remain committed to helping you navigate this difficult environment—and always maintain the primary goal of ensuring you achieve your long-term financial objectives.

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With the craziness of the holidays we have decided to extend our pet donation drive. The last day to drop off items is Friday, February 14th.

Here is the information of what type of items we can accept:

Our phones are back up and you can resume using our main 714-827-5794 number.

Thank you for your patience!

We are switching our phone service so our main phone number (714-827-5794)  is temporarily down. If you need to reach us by phone please call Melani on her direct line at 714-780-2757.

Thank you for your understanding during our transition!

Dear Clients,

As you may have heard in the news, Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade have reached an agreement for Schwab to acquire TD Ameritrade. The combined company will retain the Schwab name, and will reflect the best that each legacy firm has to offer, including leading wealth management and trading platforms.

For now, the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second half of 2020. During that time, there should be no impact to how you work with us or TD Ameritrade Institutional.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. If you would like to learn more about the transaction, visit www.amtd.com for details.

Sincerely,

Sandy, Carol and Erin

As the weather turns colder and the holidays approach, our animal loving hearts can't help but think of the poor animals who will be in the shelters this year. We are collecting donation items starting now until January 10th for pets in need. Every little donation counts and adds up!

Items that we can accept:

MEDICATIONS- They accept dog, cat and people medications. Expired medications are fine too.
Antibiotics (ANY)
Especially: Clavamox,
Baytril, Albon, Biaxin,
​Doxycycline, Ciprofloxin,
Orbax, Augmentin,
Amoxicillin, Cephalexin,
Clindamycin, Erythromycin,
Azithromycin, Fungal Meds,
Heartguard, Nexgard,
Ivermectin, Dewormer
Lixotinic, ​Frontline, ​Revolution
Capstar, NutriCal
Ear & Eye Infection Medications
Pain & Anti-Inflammatory Medications

We will be shipping the medications to an organization that helps in disaster relief areas.

New or gently used items such as:

• Dog & puppy food, both dry and canned (unopened)
• Dog & puppy prescription food: Hill’s® Prescription Diet® a/d® Canine/Feline (unopened)
• FurHaven NAP Pet Bed Crate or Kennel Pad Dog Bed
• Dog carriers suitable for airline travel (various sizes)
• Dog crates
• Dog treats (HARD; unopened) – Whimzees Dental Dog Treats, Nature Gnaws Large Bully Sticks, Natural Balance Dental Chews, Earth Animal No Hide Beef Sticks and Earth Animal No Hide Chews (Chicken), 100% Natural Whole Pig Ears, Smartsticks Chews, Best Bully Sticks
• Dog treats (SOFT; unopened) — Purina Waggin’ Train Chicken Jerky, Top Chews Chicken Jerky Fillets,Spot Farms Chicken Jerky, Chicken Bark.
• Durable puppy/dog toys— Kong Squuezz Toy, Kong Squeezz Crackle Stick, Pet Mallard Duck Toy, Indestructible Ball, Nylabone, and Kong® toys
• Esbilac milk replacer for puppies (unopened)
• Essential Oils for Enrichment program (Lavender, Camomile)
• Grooming supplies—brushes, combs, etc.
• Harnesses and Leashes – The Company of Animals Halti Harness and Halti Training Lead, PetSafe Easy Walk Harness
• Hoola Hoops
• Kuranda beds
• Medium & large dog sweaters/coats
• Poop bags (biodegradable if possible)
• Stainless steel bowls

These items will be dropped of at a local SPCALA location to be distributed by DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) where they are needed the most.