Unfortunately, many identity thieves are not satisfied with using stolen social security and financial account numbers to wreak havoc – they have also become adept at using your technology against you.

Today, we have more technology at our disposal than ever before, making our lives easier and more enjoyable. We can bank in a bathrobe from the comfort of our kitchen and connect with friends and loved ones around the globe anytime, day or night.

As we begin the second half of 2021, vaccination rates are rising, businesses and economics continue to reopen, and the word on the street is “inflation.”

As the world around us becomes inextricably linked with digitized storage and transactions, it’s important to consider what happens posthumously to your digital assets.

We have some exciting news to share with you. In June 2021, we celebrate Towneley's 50th anniversary!

At the close of 2019, we lost one of the greatest Fed chairmen: Paul Volcker. Martin Wolf of the Financial Times described Volker as a man with the highest degree of moral courage, integrity, sagacity, prudence and devotion to the service of the country.

Election years can be fraught with uncertainty as developments surrounding the candidates, their platforms, and their predicted effects on the economy and markets dominate the news. But should you let this stream of political information influence how you and Towneley manage your investment portfolio?

During the third quarter, the media released news of Warren Buffet’s two latest investment acquisitions. The billionaire’s investments do not always catch our attention, but this time it is different. Mr. Buffet seems concerned about the dollar’s weakness. He may also be worried about U.S. stock market valuations, which are at historic highs compared to those of some foreign stock markets.

“Creative destruction” is a term that often surfaces during an economic crisis.

As more people accrue digital assets, it’s important to consider curating an access point within your estate plan, such as a digital vault.

As we head into the final quarter of 2019, we do so with some concern about recent fiscal and monetary policies being employed in the U.S. We discuss the potential pitfalls of Modern Monetary Theory in our Third Quarter Commentary that accompanies this letter.

The U.S. stock market has delivered an average annual return of around 10% since 1926.1 But short-term results may vary, and in any given period stock returns can be positive, negative, or flat. When setting expectations, it’s helpful to see the range of outcomes experienced by investors historically. For example, how often have the stock market’s annual returns aligned with its long-term average?

The first half of the year saw strong market performance across all asset classes as client multi-asset portfolios have enjoyed positive returns.

Global equity markets made a V-shaped rebound, rallying throughout the first quarter as all asset classes earned positive first quarter returns (see quarterly market review).

After logging strong returns in 2017, global equity markets delivered negative returns in US dollar terms in 2018.

We consider the U.S. economy to be extremely strong with a very low probability of a recession in the near future. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 3.5% this past quarter.

The first half of 2018 has given us plenty of praiseworthy economic news. Consider the labor market: Unemployment has shrunk to a low we have not seen since a brief period in 2000.

As 2018 dawned, it seemed we might settle in for another year of records in the equities markets.

China had a strong start in the first quarter of 2017 with real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.9% (annualized).

A Brief Compendium In June 2014, Brent crude oil (see Glossary) sold for $111.93/barrel.