The Markets
 

While both the "bulls" and the "bears" have reason to believe in themselves, neither have taken the reigns. Every time we see a rally, it seems the bears come in and gradually take it away. Every time we have seen a pull back, the bulls have rallied.

In the end, it seems that optimism is controlling the market. Those feeling the market will rise, the bulls, believe the worst is behind us. They also feel that recent economic data points to the expected: a slowly moving economy. In addition, they believe that recent market losses are providing some bargain stock prices. That said, their lack of conviction shows that many have some concerns about economic and market conditions.

Those who feel the market may decline, the bears, fear that recent economic data points toward a possible recession at the end of 2007 or early 2008. They feel that the recent pull back is just the beginning of the market turbulence for 2007. That said, they too lack the conviction to drive the market. They appear concerned that the bulls may be right; the worst might be behind us.

In the end, we will likely see relatively flat markets until investors see substantial strength or weakness from the US or major foreign economies. Unfortunately, I believe that we are more likely to see continued weakness in the economy and the markets over the next few months.

Research Publications 

 The Office
 

For those of you who are local to the Baltimore area, make sure to look for our ad in the April issue of Baltimore Magazine. They will be running their Best Places to Live issue with a supplement on retirement. You will find our ad in the retirement section.

We are currently working to upgrade our website. We want to create a more user friendly site with information that is not currently available on our LPL hosted site. Our goal is to have everything completed by the beginning of April. Keep your eyes open for the our official announcement. Please note that the account access site (LPL Account View) will not be changing.

At the end of the month, Heidi and I will be taking a long overdue vacation. Our plans are to head to St. Thomas for a week and do as little as possible. For us, that probably means limiting ourselves to two activities a day.

I will be out of the office from March 26th to March 30th and will return to the office on April 2nd. In my absence, you may contact Brenna for any questions or account transactions you may have. In the event of an emergency, Brenna does have a number where I can be reached.

As you may recall from last month's newsletter, Brenna will be participating in a walk to raise money for MS research on April 21st. Please take a minute to visit her site to learn more about her efforts.

Brenna's MS Walk website 

 The Family
 

Both dart and flag football season opened during the first week of March. Something must be in the air as both teams performed very well during our respective games. The high level of energy from those first games has me excited for both seasons.

With the NCAA college basketball tournament under way, you can safely bet that yours truly will be wearing red and rooting for the Maryland Terrapins. Their first time back after a two year hiatus has me eagerly anticipating the start of the tournament.

 

 Our Resources
 

Remember, we help our clients with much more than investment management. If you have any questions regarding insurance, tax strategies, retirement planning, estate planning, education savings, or lending strategies, please give our office a call to schedule an appointment.

We are also happy to provide you with referrals to other resources. We work with professionals in other fields such as real estate, tax preparation, mortgage lending, law (various types), construction, and computers. Just as our clients are spread across the country, so are the professionals we utilize. If you are in need of help with anything, just let us know. If we do not know someone who can help, we will get you pointed in the right direction.