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Wall Street forecasts lack persistence. Their shelf life may only be a few weeks or months at best. 2020 was a great example; once COVID hit, existing forecasts became worthless. And this happens just about every year – excuses abound as to why the “experts” got it wrong…again. Forecasts are alluring because they provide an illusion of certainty. And our brain wants certainty. The problem is that we are looking for certainty in the wrong place. Our forecast is persistent because...

The power of foresight is desirable but limiting. Even if you could know a future event for certain, it would still be difficult to predict market movements based on that event. For example, say at the beginning of the year I would have told you that...

Baron Financial Team Answers Questions About “Your Personal Economy” As we approach November 3rd, bombarded with election commentary and commercials, you might be asking yourself:

Anthony Benante, a CFA® charterholder with Baron Financial Group, is quoted in an article on NJMoneyHelp.com by Karin Price Mueller, originally published on October 2, 2020. When asked about market volatility and what it means for your portfolio, Anthony said:

There are many factors to consider when comparing an exchange-traded fund (ETF) and an index mutual fund. An ETF is a marketable security that tracks an index, like an index fund. A Mutual Fund is an investment company that pools money from shareholders and invests in a variety of securities, including stocks, bonds and money market funds. A main difference between an ETF and an index mutual fund is an ETF trades continuously while the market is open, while the index mutual fund trades one time a day at market close.

The Baron Client Portal provides easy-to-navigate online access to your account information. Securely login to see more detail about your portfolio and how your money is invested. Watch our instructional video to learn how to enroll in and navigate the Baron Portal.

Although the mission statement of organizations (such as endowments, foundations or not-for-profits) who manage funds for others (beneficiaries), can vary greatly, the need to responsibly manage the investments of the organization is crucial for the ultimate beneficiaries. Below are important priorities members should remember when reviewing their annual investments for their organizations:

First and foremost, our thoughts go out to the individuals and families who have been affected by the coronavirus. Our main concern is the health and well-being of our global community. During times of financial uncertainty, it’s often helpful to take a step back and identify what we know and what we don’t know, as well as what we can control and what we can’t control. These types of thinking exercises can help us make good decisions.

The most important thing in your life is your child. And for parents with a special needs child that requires specialized care, the most significant concern is what happens to my child when I am gone or can no longer advocate for them. How would your child be financially taken care of? Watch our 85-second video to learn about how we help families with special needs.

As part of Congress’ year-end budget deal, the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) has been signed into law. The SECURE Act includes many changes that will affect retirement accounts starting in 2020. Below is a summary of some of the major changes:

You want to put your emergency funds in an account where the funds are easily accessible and not exposed to risk. Examples include traditional bank accounts that carry FDIC insurance (savings, checking, etc.).

Baron Financial Group is an institutional investor. As an independent RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) with no allegiance to any investment company, we use a process to identify investments for both our clients, as well as our own investment portfolios. One of the filters in the process is cost. This comes in to play mostly with mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. When institutionally-priced mutual funds make sense, we take advantage of the opportunity. In the world of mutual funds (which are pools of assets such as stocks and/or bonds), there can be different pricing for the same underlying investments.