The turn of the calendar year is often a time of reflection and planning. The transition from 2020 to 2021 has special meaning for many of us who fell sick, lost a job, or - worse still - lost a loved one. Today is a new day with renewed hope for our collective future and I, for one, am optimistic for a better "climate" in the coming months. Why Make Resolutions? A whopping 80% of New Year's resolutions fail according to an article published in Forbes 1  in late 2019. It appears that the odds are stacked against us humans as we make a list, check it twice, and then find out if we are naughty or nice. But, it makes us feel good to write things down and plan them out for our annual goals. These goals (perhaps) keep us from falling deeper into mediocrity by reminding us that we CAN do better. But, WILL we? What Are The Top 10? In a November 2020 survey of 531 US adults, Statista 2  found that 4 of the top 5 resolutions for 2021 focus on better physical and mental health. Thi...

  Market Review The S&P 500 (as represented by the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF - or IVV) generated a gain of +11.70% during 2020Q4. This was eclipsed by gains of +24.02% for US mid caps (IJH) and +30.86% for US small caps (IJR). Overseas the story was also peaches and cream with developed stocks (EFA) posting an +14.63% return and emerging stocks (EEM) delivering an impressive +17.19% result. Things were a little less rosy on the bond side of the table. The short, intermediate, and long Treasury indices posted quarterly returns of -0.15%, -1.54%, and -3.39% respectively. Dipping down the credit spectrum, investment grade bonds (LQD) returned +2.54% while high yield bonds (HYG) returned 4.05%. It is helpful to remember that the annual correlation between stocks and bonds is on average negative - meaning that they tend to move in slightly opposite directions over time. Quarterly Projects JQR Capital is committed to providing you with the best service for your fee dollar. There a...