Week of 4/8/2021

The first quarter of 2021 is in the books and it was an interesting one for the markets. Indexes saw gains, but as with any period not all stocks participated in the improvement. Tech stocks were a drag for the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones led the way among large-company indices. This is normal activity for long-term investors. Last year’s leaders may be this year’s laggards. The timing of these shifts is as unpredictable as ever and the case remains strong for diversification’s role in managing risk. There is more in the Quarterly Market Update found here.

We’ve seen at least two other newspapers publish articles citing the number of fully-vaccinated people in various states who have contracted COVID-19 after the fact. This is a further example of last week’s item on how headlines do not always provide context. The headlines are factual but, as shown by this Detroit Free Press article, many media organizations do a poor job of providing the full picture. In Michigan, 246 have tested positive out of more than 1.8 million, a rate of 0.0013%! It is hard to imagine the vastness of the ocean, but this video puts it in comprehensible terms. Can you imagine diving to more than 150 feet without scuba gear? Or past the reach of the sun’s light in a submarine? In other news, can you imagine flying from New York to London is less than one hour? Airplane manufacturer Aerion announced plans for a 50 passenger jet that will travel more than 4000 mph! An older article, but still interesting- members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are disproportionately hired by the FBI, CIA, and Department of Homeland Security. This is because of strong foreign language skills from missions overseas, a relatively easy time getting security clearances, and a willingness to serve.

Have you watched any of our videos in the “Ask the Joes® (and Cale)” series? So far, we have covered cryptocurrency, investment vs. speculation, data security, and financial planning. More quick videos to come. Subscribe to be notified of future videos.

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