CLS Blog
How Low Can Oil Go?
April 22, 2015
Content provided by Kostya Etus, CLS Associate Portfolio Manager One of the hottest topics in the markets lately has been oil prices. Questions like “Where is oil headed?” have become part of daily conversations and plagued news headlines. I think it is important to cut through the noise, take a step back, and evaluate the…
The Story Behind the Data
April 20, 2015
Content provided by Robyn Murray, Freelance Writer 11-year-old Stryker whips open the door and jumps into his mother’s parked SUV. “Hey mom, did you see me coming this time?” “I did see you coming this time!” It’s 3 p.m., and J.J. Schenkelberg has just driven five miles from her house to pick up her two…
Retirement Crisis
April 15, 2015
Content provided by Sierra Morris-Fuchs, CLS Investment Research Analyst I have a quiz for you. How much does a typical household (ages 25 to 64) in the U.S. have saved in its retirement account? You’ve probably heard about the current retirement crises and know you should keep your guess low. How low? $2,500. That’s right,…
How to Prepare Income Strategies for the Fed’s Rate Hike
April 9, 2015
Content provided by Josh Jenkins, CLS Investment Research Analyst With the Federal Reserve moving closer to the seemingly inevitable liftoff in interest rates, one thing on the mind of many investors is, “How will this affect my portfolio?” This is particularly true for those invested in an income-oriented strategy. Generally speaking, all income strategies carry…
Are Commodities…Dead?
April 8, 2015
Content provided by Grant Engelbart, CFA – CLS Portfolio Manager Not surprisingly, commodities have been one of the worst performing asset classes over the past several years. Headline grabbers such as oil and gold have lost their respective luster, and others have followed suit. A combination of factors has driven prices lower, most recently the…
Healthy Finance
April 7, 2015
Content provided by Robyn Murray, Freelance Writer Paula Wieck began her career in nutrition science. She specialized in obesity and diabetes – two of the nation’s most prolific ailments. But for her, the interest was personal. Her parents suffered from the diseases, and as a child, she did too. “I lost probably 40 or 50…
Fed is Losing Patience, But Won’t Be Impatient
April 1, 2015
Content provided by Marc Pfeffer, CLS Senior Portfolio Manager The Fed is losing patience, but they won’t be “impatient” … That is essentially how Fed Chair Janet Yellen began the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) news conference on March 18. While there was much market chatter leading up to the conference, the most significant announcement…
Spring Cleaning Isn’t Just for Your Closet
March 25, 2015
Content provided by Sierra Morris-Fuchs, CLS Investment Research Analyst As the weather warms up, and I finally start to feel alive again after a long, cold winter, I always get motivated to do a thorough house cleaning. Hibernation can create some messy habits – dust collected on shelves, layers of dirt on windows, old clothes…
March Madness: The Investment Edition
March 23, 2015
Content provided by Scott Kubie, CFA – CLS Chief Strategist It’s ‘March Indecision’ time. Should I fill out a bracket this year? Will I be able to resist watching the end of nearly every game because I happened to have filled out a bracket (probably not)? Who should I pick to play Kentucky in the…