SHARE:  
BAM Banner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAM MARKET WRAP
May 29, 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YIN AND YANG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

WHERE WE HAVE BEEN 

 

From the market's standpoint it has mostly been a boring month.  The S&P has traded within a narrow range of 50 points.   We have had a little more volatility over the last few days but one day's down move has been quickly followed by the next days up move and vice versa.  The market is limping into the end of the month, however, with some additional weakness to this point today.   Economic news has continued to disappoint all month long and many are worried that the Federal Reserve will yield to pressure from several fronts and raise rates despite the sputtering economy.   Despite the economy the markets continue to sputter, trip and inch upward.  



 

 

WHERE WE ARE HEADED 

 

You know that things are getting a bit frothy when the likes of Merrill Lynch/Bank of America come out warning that the markets are in a twilight zone and not accepting reality!  As long-time readers know, we have been of this opinion for some time.  Eventually the markets will harken back to reality but for now the song remains the same.  Bad news is good news and good news is good news.   With May all but in the books, the sell in May crowd is out in full force.  That strategy has not fared well over the last several years but it does have merit as the markets typically struggle in the summer months.  With a long list of concerns (economy, China,  Greece, ISIS, etc.), the sell in May crowd may put a feather in their cap this year but we have learned not to put the cart before the horse and will wait for the market to show us what it is doing rather than try and guess.  It is very much an imperfect science but risk management pays off in the long term.   Over the coming month we will be watching the unfolding Greek tragedy and its effect on the European Union, the Fed's words and actions concerning interest rates, the saber rattling throughout the middle east, Russia, and the China Sea and many other issues that are sure to pop up.  


 


 

HOW WE ARE DOING

 

We became a little more defensive over the course of the month and our portfolios mostly treaded water for the month.  The break-out in the S&P may be in the process of failing so we will wait and see what transpires next before making any major portfolio changes.  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


 
Tidbits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

 

NOTHING - 1 out of every 8 Americans who die at age 85 or later (12.2%) have zero assets to their name at time of death, i.e., no housing asset or any financial assets (source: Employee Benefit Research Institute).

 

YOU COULD, BUT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO - As part of his fiscal year 2016 budget plan that was sent to Congress on 2/02/15, President Obama has proposed that Americans who have $100,000 or less in retirement plans assets (e.g., 401(k) and IRA) should not be forced to take a distribution from their pre-tax plans, even at age 70 ? as required under current law (source: White House).

 

WINTER WOES - The last year when 1st quarter GDP growth was the best quarter during the calendar year was 2006.  Since then, the 1st quarter has been the worst quarter in 5 of 8 years (source: Commerce Department).

 

MOST HATED BULL EVER? - Just 27% of individual investors surveyed are "bullish" on the US stock market as of 5/13/15.  The bull market for the S&P 500 is in its 75th month, having started its upward run as of 3/10/09 (source: American Association of Individual Investors).   

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

While the markets have been a little boring of late, things at the NashBills household have been busy and exciting.  We have had 2 graduations (Emily from Belmont and Sarah from high school), numerous and sundry graduation parties (we even snagged an
invitation to Alan Jackson's house for one graduation party), 2 weeks in a hotel due to some water damage at the house, 2 out of town conferences, and last but definitely not least the engagement of our oldest, Emily!  Emily and Jake have not set a date yet but it appears that it will be in the fall of 2016.  It has been a busy but very exciting time.  And while Kelly and I are moving towards moving one out of the door to college and our empty nest, we get a new son-in-law.  The circle of life!  We couldn't be happier.

 

 

We don't do it often enough but we wanted to say a hearty thank you to all of our clients and their trust in us.  We are so very grateful for your friendship and in allowing us to have a part in your lives.  We hope you have a wonderful, busy and exciting summer.

 

 

 

Sam and Bo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your financial partner for twenty years and counting because managing your money never gets old.

 

 

 

 

     

We continue to make posts to our blog throughout the week so check it regularly if you want to see our thoughts.  You can access it by following the link below.  

 

RECENT POSTS

 

 

 

THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT

 

In these uncertain times, a trusted financial adviser is more important than ever.  Whatever comes over the upcoming months and quarters, the markets are certain to have lots of volatility and wild swings.  Europe, the US economy and dysfunction in Washington, and continued trouble in Iran and the Middle East to name just a few.  If you have family, friends and neighbors that may benefit from our services, would you please forward this email and/or provide our contact information to them.  We purposefully do not spend time marketing our services so that we can devote all of our resources to managing your assets.  Thank you to all who have provided us referrals - it truly is the greatest compliment you can give us.      

 

 

 

 
BAM MARKET WRAP EXTENDED
EDITION
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember to visit our blog for market comments and observations in between newsletters.  We try to provide a few comments in between newsletters and certainly when there is a particularly interesting market day.  You can access it by clicking here. 

Quick Links
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Investing Philosophy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAM Logo

Knoxville Office

Sam Bills - (865) 525-1329

Nashville Office
Bo Bills - (615) 371-5928

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAAIM Newsletter Award

Published by Sam C. Bills, Jr.  Copyright ? 2008 Bills Asset Management.  All rights reserved.

BAM Market Wrap is produced and distributed regularly via email by Sam C. Bills, Jr. of Bills Asset Management  3001 Flagstone Drive, Franklin, TN 37069 Phone (615) 371-5928 Fax (615) 250-4903 - www.Billsasset.com

Bills Asset Management  is an independent registered investment advisor (RIA) not associated with any financial institution.  Data used in this publication is gathered from reliable sources, although completeness and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.  Performance results do not take into account any tax consequences and are not predictive of future results.  This publication does not give any specific investment advice, does not provide financial planning services, or consider any individual's financial situation, needs or goals.  This publication may not be reproduced or retransmitted in whole or in part without the consent of the author, Sam C. Bills, Jr.

 

Important Disclosure Information

 

Bills Asset Management ("BAM") composite performance results represent time-weighted actual performance results for continuously managed BAM accounts, which individual accounts BAM believes to be representative of its investment management process (i.e. mutual funds and exchange traded funds) for each specific strategy during the corresponding time period.  The composite performance results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and other account earnings, and are net of applicable account transaction and custodial charges, and the separate fees assessed directly by each unaffiliated mutual fund and exchange traded fund holding that comprised each account, and the maximum investment advisory fee that the accounts would have incurred (by applying BAM's current investment advisory fee as set forth in its current written disclosure statement) during the corresponding time periods.

 

Please Note:  Past performance may not be indicative of future results.  Therefore, no current or prospective client should assume that future performance will be profitable, equal the performance results reflected, or equal any corresponding historical benchmark index.  The historical index performance results for all historical benchmark indices do not reflect the deduction of transaction and custodial charges, or the deduction of an investment management fee, the incurrence of which would have the effect of decreasing indicated historical performance results.  The historical performance results for all indices are provided exclusively for comparison purposes only, so as to provide general comparative information to assist an individual client or prospective client in determining whether the performance of BAM program meets, or continues to meet, his/her investment objective(s).  A corresponding description of each index is available from BAM upon request.  It should not be assumed that BAM account holdings will correspond directly to any such comparative benchmark index.  The BAM performance results do not reflect the impact of taxes.

 

For reasons including variances in the investment management fee incurred, market fluctuation, the date on which a client engaged BAM's investment management services, and any account contributions or withdrawals, the performance of a specific BAM client's account may have varied substantially from the indicated portfolio performance results.

 

In the event that there has been a change in a client's investment objectives or financial situation, he/she/it is encouraged to advise BAM immediately.  Different types of investments and/or investment strategies involve varying levels of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments purchased and/or investment strategies devised or undertaken by BAM will be profitable. 

 

Information pertaining to BAM's advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in BAM's current disclosure statement, a copy of which is available from BAM upon request.  Performance results have been compiled solely by BAM, are unaudited, and have not been independently verified.  BAM maintains all information supporting the performance results in accordance with regulatory requirements.