Welcome to the new Sage Advisors, LLC website! Hopefully you can begin today by poking around and seeing what we offer here. Let me introduce you to a few key components.
You are currently viewing the section of our site where we will post periodic blogs and updates. A goal of ours is to regularly add to our content here, addressing everything from financial planning tips and strategies to potential tax law changes, market updates and commentaries. I am going to ask for your help – if you have questions or topics about which you would like me to comment and think perhaps it might make a good blog topic, please email me. If you are curious or wondering about something, there are likely many others wondering the same thing. Help me learn to use this tool to keep you informed.
Yes, it is true – Dave and Michelle are real people and have now actually been photographed. For those of you that didn’t yet know, Joe completed his CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) designation last year and is working hard not only helping us but building his own planning practice. Not yet pictured is Jordan Cole, my oldest son. Jordan will graduate from the University of Arizona in just a few weeks, and will be full time with us likely by the end of June.
I know many of you have requested this. What is the phone number and email to reach each of us? If you don’t have a great system for keeping track of contact information simply return here when needed.
Market Summary
As you have surmised if you’ve already viewed your performance summary and from the data in the table below,
| Return Date (Qtr-End) | Total Ret 3 Mo | Total Ret 1 Yr | Total Ret Annlzd 3 Yr | |
| S&P 500 TR | 3/31/2011 | 5.92 | 15.65 | 2.35 |
| Russell 2000 | 3/31/2011 | 7.94 | 25.79 | 8.57 |
| DJ Industrial Average | 3/31/2011 | 7.07 | 16.51 | 3.12 |
| MSCI EAFE NR | 3/31/2011 | 3.36 | 10.42 | -3.01 |
| BarCap US Agg Bond | 3/31/2011 | 0.42 | 5.12 | 5.3 |
| BarCap Municipal | 3/31/2011 | 0.51 | 1.63 | 4.47 |
the bull market continued through the first quarter of 2011. In fact, it proved the best first quarter in quite a few years. Bottom line, more and more indicators tell us that the economic recovery continues to take hold and corporate profits and balance sheets continue to improve. Employment is improving. The private sector is truly beginning to add more jobs. Unemployment is edging ever so slowly down. The consumer is returning as confidence is up and retail sales are improving.
Like always, there are clearly concerns as well. The real estate market is bumping along the bottom at best. Oil and energy prices have risen quickly in part due to an improving economy and in part due to the turmoil in the Middle East. Food and commodity prices have risen quickly. Japan has suffered a terrible tragedy. We know any and all of these will be headwinds to a recovery and their ultimate impact is unknown. Despite my long term optimism I’ll say again what I write in most of my summaries – the economy and financial markets won’t continue up in a straight line. The concerns I mention and those we’ve yet to learn will certainly cause bumps along our path. We therefore seek to use the best money managers, stay diversified, carefully align goals and asset allocation, and keep a long term perspective through the ups and the downs.
Thank You
Our sincere thanks to each one of you. Certainly we would not be in business without you. This business isn’t just work, though. It is work we absolutely love to do. I know without a doubt that I am fortunate to enjoy my work and profession as much as I do. I know, too, that this wouldn’t be the case without such wonderful clients to work with. Thank you for allowing us to come alongside and serve.
Sincerely,
Russ
Russell D. Cole, CLU, ChFC