Greetings!
This year, I want to take a little extra time to thank the Veterans who give us the opportunity to exercise the freedom to help our clients, to serve our community and to move the world, at least a little, in the direction we think best. Two Presidents said it best: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - Ronald Reagan "As we express our gratitude [to our veterans], we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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| Karl Frank in Investor Advisor Magazine | |
 | | Investor Advisor - November 2011 |
Investor Advisor Magazine's November 2011 edition features Karl Frank. In the article "Never Satisfied" John Sullivan writes:
Passion born of tragedy drives Karl Frank to do all he can to help business owners ensure a legacy for loved ones and heirs
Industrial age publisher and philanthropist Frederick Bonfils said there is no hope for the satisfied man. If that's the case, Karl Frank is full of hope.
"I'm never satisfied," Frank says matter-of-factly when asked about his advisory firm.....Read More. |
| Weekly Economic Update | |
JOBLESS RATE DECREASES TO 9.0%
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected unemployment to stay at 9.1% in October, so this was a nice development. Still, this latest jobs report had something in common with its predecessors: underwhelming job growth. Non-farm payrolls expanded by 80,000 positions last month, but that fell short of the 95,000 new jobs envisioned in the consensus Bloomberg forecast. On the bright side, the percentage of underemployed Americans fell from 16.5% to 16.2% and the long-term unemployed (those out of work for at least 27 weeks) shrank to 42.4% of the jobless population, the lowest percentage since November 2010.1
BOTH ISM INDICES MOVE LOWER
The Institute for Supply Management's purchasing manager indexes were both above 50 in October, but not quite where they were at a month before. The ISM manufacturing index slipped from 51.6 to 50.8; its service sector index ticked down to 52.9 from the preceding 53.0. The service sector employment gauge improved by 4.6% and moved from 48.7 in September (contraction) to 53.3 (expansion).2
GOLD & OIL POST WEEKLY GAINS
Oil futures advanced 1.01% last week to settle at $94.26 per barrel on the NYMEX Friday. Prices have jumped 19.02% over the past five weeks of trading. Gold logged a 0.52% gain last week, closing at $1,755.30 an ounce on the COMEX Friday.3
GREEK THEATRE PREOCCUPIES WALL STREET
The whims of Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou affected stocks more than anything last week: first he announced a public vote on the latest austerity cuts for the nation, reconsidered it, and then prepared to step down Friday amid concerns that he might change his mind. As these weekly performance numbers show, bears were roaming last week: DJIA, -2.03% to 11,983.24; S&P 500, -2.48% to 1,253.23; NASDAQ, -1.86% to 2,686.15.4,5,6
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| Trust Company of America Announcement | |
Trust Company of America announces a new web site with new, easier-to-understand graphics and features. I think you will appreciate it. They did research with advisors like us and clients like you to find out how to improve, and they've done a great job. Here is a short video explaining the new software, called "Liberty." Check it out! (7)
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| Market Summary |
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% Change |
Y-T-D |
1Yr Chg |
5-Year Avg | |
DJIA |
+3.50 |
+4.80 |
-0.000047 | |
NASDAQ |
+1.25 |
+4.22 |
+3.05 | |
S&P 500 |
-0.35 |
+2.63 |
-1.63 |
(Source: cnbc.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov - 11/04/11). Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged, and investors cannot invest in them directly. |
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Create a beautiful week!
Karl Frank, MBA, MSF
Certified Financial Planner (R)
A & I Financial Services LLC
303.690.5070
Citations:
(1) - www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-04/u-s-payrolls-
increased-by-80-000-in-october-as-jobless-rate-falls-to-9-.html [11/4/11]
(2) - www.ism.ws/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm [11/3/11]
(3) - blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/11/04/data-points-energy-metals-529/ [11/4/11]
(4) - montoyaregistry.com/Financial-Market.aspx?financial-market=financial-planning-and-wealth-management&category=4 [11/4/11]
(5) - www.cnbc.com/id/45166675 [11/4/11]
(6) - www.cnbc.com/id/45163231 [11/4/11]
(7) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y031CrTZBAo
This material has been prepared and is distributed solely for information purposes only. It is not a solicitation or an offer buy any securities or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. There is no assurance that a particular trading strategy will achieve investment success.
Securities offered through Geneos Wealth Management, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through A & I Financial Services LLC, registered investment advisor.
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 | | Save the Date! | |
A&I's annual Holiday Party will be held on Friday December 2nd. Please watch for your invitation! |
| Words for Thought |
"Experience is a dear teacher, but fools will learn at no other." Ben Franklin |
| Watch Karl Frank on Channel 9 News & Read his article "Where to Invest in Times of Turmoil" | |
Click Here
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Riddle of the Week |
What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never eats, has a head but never thinks, and has a bed but never sleeps?
Last week's riddle:
A man brings a silver antique wrapped up in a towel to an appraiser, claiming it is a trophy engraved "To General Stonewall Jackson, presented after the first Battle of Bull Run, 1861." The appraiser knows it is a fake without even looking at it. Why?
Last week's answer:
People in 1861 wouldn't have known it was the first Battle of Bull Run (the second occurred in 1862). Also, Stonewall Jackson fought for the Confederacy, which referred to the battle First Manassas
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