CLS Blog

Trivia Tuesday!

Test your social media knowledge! 1. Based on population, if Facebook were a country, where would it rank among the largest countries in the world? answer: It would be the 3rd largest 2. The Facebook launch of this vehicle proved more effective than a Super Bowl ad. answer: Ford Explorer 3. What is the second largest internet search engine? answer:… Continue reading Trivia Tuesday!

Are You Better Off Today?

It’s been just over five years since the S&P 500 closed at its all-time high on October 9, 2007. Saying “a lot” has happened since then wouldn’t even begin to do justice, but we’ll leave that as it is. Keeping this information in mind, close your eyes (maybe keep one eye open to read) and imagine… Continue reading Are You Better Off Today?

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Categorized as Investing

Get to Know: REITs

A real estate investment trust, or REIT, is a real estate company that enjoys special tax treatment by virtue of its legal structure. By law, the REIT must pay out at least 90 percent of its taxable income in order to avoid paying corporate taxes. CLS uses REITs in our Master Manager Strategy and ETF… Continue reading Get to Know: REITs

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Categorized as Investing

Communication Key to Client Retention

Ever wondered why clients fire their advisors? A recent study conducted by Spectrem Group laid out the top five reasons: Not returning phone calls in a timely manner Not providing good ideas or advice Not being proactive in contacting clients Not returning emails Long-term losses Interestingly, while returns play a part in this list, it’s… Continue reading Communication Key to Client Retention

Your Questions Are Answered

Answers from yesterday’s Trivia Tuesday! post: 1. How did the word “buck” come to mean a dollar? Originally, a buck referred to a deerskin or buckskin, which was commonly used as money. 2. Who coined the term “fiscal cliff”? Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke 3. What was the value of the global bond market in… Continue reading Your Questions Are Answered

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Categorized as Investing

Fiscal Cliff vs. Debt Ceiling Drama

While concerns are mounting around the fiscal cliff, it is important to contrast the 2011 economic environment resulting from the debt ceiling drama and the current state of affairs. When the full impact of the debt ceiling’s contentious negotiations hit in 2011, the economic environment was very different from today in two important areas. One,… Continue reading Fiscal Cliff vs. Debt Ceiling Drama

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Categorized as Economy

Trivia Tuesday!

Test your financial knowledge! 1. How did the word “buck” come to mean a dollar? 2. Who coined the term “fiscal cliff”? 3. What was the value of the global bond market in 2011? 4. What’s the largest privately held company in the U.S.? 5. When was the first debt ceiling established and what was… Continue reading Trivia Tuesday!

Fiscal Cliff Update

The Fiscal Cliff will be a hot topic in the coming weeks, as Congress will be charged with making decisions that will vastly affect our nation’s future. If Congress does not take action to stop them, approximately $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts will be implemented in January 2013, which could drive the… Continue reading Fiscal Cliff Update