Week of 8/26/2021

Please mark Sept 14th as the date of our next webinar, this time with Guggenheim Investments. They will provide a market update and be available to answer questions as well. They are one of our preferred fixed income managers, and we look forward to the event. Many of you use our account access app, Investor360, to review your portfolios and to link outside investment accounts. As with many apps, security is a major focus and two-factor authentication will soon be implemented. Please keep an eye out for an email that will provide additional information about the implementation and timing of the change. We know that linking outside accounts has not been smooth for some of you since the change in the provider that manages the aggregation tool. We appreciate your patience with the process and welcome any questions or feedback that you have as improvements continue.

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History has a great episode about the benefits of war games. For example, when the United States faces a threat from another country, such as North Korea, it is tempting to imagine that our technological and economic superiority would drive us to victory. War games cause participants to live through possible versions of events and to gain a sense for unintended and unexpected outcomes. It’s not a bad idea to adopt a similar practice when considering big decisions. Want to become a cosmetologist? Prepare to spend 1600 hours working toward your license. Or a hair braider? 2100 hours! But if you want to become a law enforcement officer, in many states the hourly requirement is much, much shorter. The difference highlights the role that occupational licensing plays in creating barriers to entry that may not reflect the real requirements of a profession. Yale researchers found that introverts prone to melancholy seem to be more astute at understanding how we behave in groups than their gregarious peers. Supply chain problems continue, and a recent incident at the Chinese port of Ningbo-Zhoushan shows why. It is the 3rd busiest port in the world and was forced to partially shut down on 8/11/21 as a result of a coronavirus outbreak. By the 8th shutdown day, 80 ships containing a total of 393,650 20-foot containers were sitting on ships, waiting for the port to reopen (source: VesselsValue).

This week’s Ask the Joes® (and Cale) answers the question, “Should I pay off my mortgage?”

‌ ‌ ‌ Advisory Services offered through Lowry Financial Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and additional advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Advisory services offered through Lowry Financial Advisors, Inc, are separate and unrelated to Commonwealth. Lowry Financial Advisors, Inc. is located at 12921 SW 1st Rd, Suite 215, Tioga, FL 32669. 352-333-7990 Lowry Financial Advisors is the only advisory firm that helps its clients reach their goals through The Achieving Simplicity® Experience™, providing clarity and confidence in their personal and financial lives.