To recognize this milestone anniversary, Ferguson Wellman is launching a new initiative to promote more financial education and literacy.
Ferguson Wellman Celebrates 50 Years with a Push for Financial Literacy
Pick Your Poison
Equity markets surged on Monday only to come under pressure to close the week at a 1.5% loss. Absent a rally greater than 4% on Monday, this will be the first quarter since the summer of 2023 when investors have lost money in domestic stocks.
Global Gains, U.S. Pains
Something is happening that hasn’t occurred in a very long time – international stocks are outperforming the U.S. markets. This shift marks a significant departure from the long-standing dominance of U.S. equities, which have historically been driven by robust earnings growth and technological innovation.
Saving for College
The current residential real estate market continues to apply pressure on potential home buyers, with many feeling the constraints of high housing prices and relatively high interest rates for mortgages.
Tariffs and Volatility: Turn Down the Volume
This week, we sent this communication to all Ferguson Wellman and West Bearing clients in response to heightened market volatility. We felt that this message was also appropriate to reiterate for our weekly blog.
KXL Radio Interviews with Ferguson Wellman
Our professionals are periodically asked to weigh in on timely topics regarding the economy, capital markets and personal finance.
The Tariff Tantrum
After last November's presidential election, it was widely understood that tariffs would be on the agenda for 2025. Early this year, however, markets largely shrugged off these concerns, viewing tariff threats primarily as a negotiating tactic rather than a serious economic risk.
Déjà Vu and the Debt Ceiling
Yogi Berra might have been one of the most accomplished baseball players in history, but his greatest legacy may have been his contribution to classic sayings, otherwise known as “Yogi-isms.” His famous quote about déjà vu was supposedly uttered after watching Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris hit back-to-back home runs in 1961. However, one could easily hear it being uttered today when observing the politicians in Washington D.C. grapple with the federal debt ceiling that is due to be lifted or suspended again this year.
Wrapping Up
As February draws to a close, so does our first quarter outlook season. We enjoy hitting the road and sharing our 2025 Investment Outlook with clients and colleagues, and are grateful for the chance to come together and look forward to what's ahead.
Lessons Learned from the California Wildfires
This article was originally published in 2020. As the author, I chose to focus on the Camp Fire in northern California as a case study for fire safety and financial preparedness during disasters. My colleague, Mary Lago, CFP®, CTFA, grew up in Paradise, California, and tragically her mom lost her home in the fire.
Lago on CNBC Closing Bell
Mary Lago, CFP, CTFA®, Ferguson Wellman’s chief wealth strategist, joins CNBC’s Closing Bell to discuss our firm's "high-net-worth playbook."
Falling Snow, Rising Inflation
This week, Portland residents braved the cold to venture outside and watch snow blanket the city. In contrast, January's inflation data was seemingly the opposite, rising higher month-over-month and year-over-year. While the snowfall might have been a pleasant surprise for some Oregonians, this inflation data was anything but for most investors and consumers.
2024 Annual Report
Tariff Tantrum
Over the last week, the tariff rhetoric hit a heightened level with the threat of 25% tariffs on products coming in from Mexico and Canada, as well as 10% on China.
2025 Investment Outlook Webinar Video: Lessons Learned
Annual presentation from Ferguson Wellman sharing our views for the year regarding the global economy and capital markets, as well as a planning update from our wealth management team.
Hold Your Fire
This week, the equity market had a “shoot first, ask questions later” response to news surrounding DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup company that claimed to achieve ChatGPT-level performance at a fraction of the cost. This news sent a shockwave through the technology sector, sparking a frenzy of speculation and questions about AI innovation.
Ferguson Wellman Provides Their Top Five Investment Themes for 2025
After months of debate, President Biden chose to take the bipartisan route nominating Jerome Powell to serve a second four-year term as Federal Reserve Chairman.
Pahlow on KOIN Wallet Wednesday
Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA, was on KOIN AM Extra's Wallet Wednesday to discuss how to have a better relationship with your money in 2025.
Signal or Noise
This week, the presidential inauguration and subsequent flurry of executive orders left investors deciphering what is ‘signal’ versus ‘noise’. Fortunately, in the background, public companies have started reporting fourth quarter earnings and reveal expectations for the year ahead.
Real Estate Investing: The Good, the Bad and the Office Space
In our Investment Outlook 2025 events, we will share our thoughts on the real estate market and the opportunities ahead. While the commercial real estate sector appeared to hit bottom early last year, it showed a positive trend in the latter half, with core real estate values increasing 6% per the Green Street Commercial Property Index (Green Street CPPI). As mentioned in previous publications, we favor opportunities in industrial warehouses, apartments and data centers, which saw values increase last year. However, our publications have not as deeply explored one segment of commercial real estate (CRE): office space.