Mary Faulkner
Executive Vice President
Branding and Communications
One of the sayings most often heard in our firm is, “It’s not about timing the market—it’s about time in the market.” With this long-term view in mind, one might ask why we spend so much time preparing our Outlook each year when the messaging has been consistent over the years. Simply put, each year brings new challenges for investors, but our commitment to clients is to stay focused on the long term.
As background, our Outlook planning starts a couple of weeks after we complete our last event, which this year is in early April due to some February snowstorm rescheduling.
We schedule 18 events for clients throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California—as well as a webinar for clients who can’t attend our in-person presentations. Once our investment and wealth management teams land on a framework, it’s shared with all portfolio managers who provide additional insight and perspective.
After sifting through economic data and research, the presentation comes together and is rolled up into a theme. The goal is to make it memorable and the team builds upon it throughout the year in our videos, publications and speaking engagements.
With the start of our fiftieth year, our Outlooks gave us an opportunity to share some evergreen “Lessons Learned” themes that have been particularly poignant as the markets react to executive orders and nuanced negotiation strategies.
We also promoted how we support future investors and encourage financial freedom through our client education program, DollarSense™. To celebrate our 50th, DollarSense™ is available to the public, starting in April for Financial Literacy Month.
This year, more than 880 individuals attended our events and viewed our webinar. The considerable time and resources devoted to our Outlook season reflects our desire to be transparent about client portfolios and proactive in our communication. No one can predict the future but one thing is certain: Missed days in the market runs the risk of missing the best days in the market.
Ferguson Wellman, Octavia Group and West Bearing do not provide tax, legal, insurance or medical advice. This material has been prepared for general educational and informational purposes only and not as a substitute for qualified counsel. We believe the information provided is from reliable sources but should not be assumed accurate or complete. You should consult qualified professionals to understand how this information may, or may not, apply specifically to you.