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"Economic Dashboard Update - October Data, 2011" - Russell Investments provides a look at the economic activity for the past few months. This piece provides insight concerning macro-economic forces and their respective trends. This provides details concerning both lagging and leading economic indicators for your review.

"Economic Dashboard Update - August Data, 2011" - Russell Investments provides a look at the economic activity for the past few months. This piece provides insight concerning macro-economic forces and their respective trends. This provides details concerning both lagging and leading economic indicators for your review.

"Oil and the Economy" - JP Morgan provides an excellent summary of the forces of supply and demand as it relates to the oil market. With the economic unrest happening in the middle east, it's not a great time to be a dictator. This summary provides a key summary of the relationship between the price of oil and the potential for inflation.

"Retirement Planning using Trusts" - Trusts are a useful part of the financial lives of our clients. How would an individual properly structure a trust in order to provide maximum protection and income during the life of a beneficiary? Trusts are an excellent tool, with many of the benefits overlooked and underestimated in the retirement planning process.

"Economic Dashboard Update - February, 2011" - Russell Investments provides a look at the economic activity for the past quarter. This piece provides insight concerning macro-economic forces and their respective trends. This provides details concerning both lagging and leading economic indicators for your review.

"Libya - is it a risk for our own economic recovery?" - Fidelity's Market Analysis Research and Education provides a summary of the geo-political situation in Libya and their opinion on whether or not it is sufficient to derail any economic recovery for our country.

"What If?" - The Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2010. What if they do expire? What are the implications of a pre-2001 tax regime assuming things revert back to the higher tax system? This piece from Russell Investments addresses the probability and result of each possible outcome.

"The Messy Middle" - Any period of transition is messy. This one is no different as we begin to emerge from a sluggish period of economic growth back to something more sustainable and consistent. Our commentary addresses how we see the fundamentals of our market system as it stands today.

"Goldilocks or Gridlock?" - Now that the elections are over what are the market implications of a potentially gridlocked Congress? Has it been a good thing, something bad, or a non-event? Fidelity provides a summary of the historical returns of the markets during different Congressional periods.

"Economic Dashboard Update - October, 2010" - Russell Investments provides a clear look at economic indicators updated through the third quarter. Are things actually improving? This piece looks at all the fundamental aspects of our economy using both lagging and leading economic indicators.

"The next ten are more important than the last ten." - Even though the equity investor has been disappointed over the past ten years, does it mean that the next ten will be just as bad? Old Mission Investment Company examines the result of several 'low return' decades for equity investors, with the returns following those periods. The next ten years are more important than the last ten years.

"Bear for Bonds." - The bond market has enjoyed a great three year run. With above average returns for bond investors, and record low interest rates, at what point will things change for the bond investor? Old Mission takes a short look at how the recent history and risk within the bond market can be evaluated.

"Taking a Breather" - The markets have been on a tear. With high returns from both equities and fixed income, it should lead investors to question when things will temporarily change course. This piece is written just to say 'take a breather' and prepare for short-term corrections to enter the picture during periods of long-term growth.

"'Average' is Good Again" - Just imagine if 'average' returns were to come back into vogue for market investors. You would see lower volatility, more consistent returns from asset classes, and happier investors. The shortened 'boom to bust' cycles aren't necessarily the norm, and we don't see this ugly cycle repeating every decade ad infinitum.

"Beneficiaries and Taxation" - The assumption is that unless you have millions, your beneficiaries aren't subject to taxation once you pass away. This isn't always the case. We present a simple explanation of the 'how's and why's' behind the complicated maze of the taxation of your financial assets once they pass to beneficiaries.