Saffron Capital, LLC

The rotation away from technology shares continued for a second month, with 1Q returns the strongest since 2019. See the details behind asset groups returns for more insight into what is driving your portfolio.

https://saffroncapital.com/2024/04/march-2024-returns-and-asset-performance/

March 2024 Returns and Asset Performance Review of March 2024 market returns and year-to-date financial performance. The scope of the benchmark report covers all major asset classes.

2024 marks the year that the majority of Boomers will pass full retirement age. The chart below also shows that the youngest and largest subset of Boomers (ages 59-62) is just beginning to approach early retirement age.

Demographics are destiny. The number of persons employed full-time is now dropping year to year. However, recent Department of Labor data is also showing that nonfarm payrolls is increasing month to month. So, what's going on? Many retirees are increasingly embracing a hybrid retirement given Inflation and anxiety about the sustainability of savings. Many are returning to work.

Are there income alternatives to avoid a return to work? Of course. Options include structured fixed income and home equity strategies. Risk-managed portfolios that enhance capital preservation also serve to extend the sustainability of savings. Regardless of the path chosen, comprehensive retirement plans also help to better afford and enjoy retirement.

Saffron Capital, LLC Tactical asset allocations and risk-managed portfolios

Market strength in February reveals a key rotation away from Tech shares, supporting market breadth, as detailed in the report below.

Have questions or concerns about the performance of your portfolio? Could you benefit from a custom portfolio formulation that better reflects your retirement goals and risk appetite? Whatever your needs are, we are here to listen and to help.

February 2024 Returns and Asset Performance Review of February 2024 market returns and year-to-date financial performance. The scope of the benchmark report covers all major asset classes.

Here are benchmark investment returns for January 2024. Have questions or concerns about the performance of your portfolio? Could you benefit from a custom portfolio formulation that better reflects your goals and risk appetite? Whatever your needs are, we are here to listen and to help.

https://saffroncapital.com/2024/02/january-2024-returns-and-asset-performance/

January 2024 Returns and Asset Performance Review of December 2023 market returns and year-to-date financial performance. The scope of the benchmark report covers all major asset classes.

Please take a moment to view our summary of 2023 investment results

https://saffroncapital.com/2024/01/december-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

December 2023 Returns and Asset Performance Review of December 2023 market returns and year-to-date financial performance. The scope of the benchmark report covers all major asset classes.

Saffron Capital, LLC Tactical asset allocations and risk-managed portfolios

Third quarter earnings season is complete for the S&P 500 index and year-on-year earnings growth came in at 4.8%. The following report turns to the fourth quarter and serves as an early prelude that shows which sectors have positive or negative earnings guidance, how the latest earnings estimates are impacting value, and if realized returns are keeping pace with the latest outlook changes.

Have questions about the performance of your portfolio? I'd love to hear from you.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/12/sp-500-earnings-forecasts-4q-2023/

S&P 500 Earnings Forecasts - 4Q.2023 The fourth quarter earnings season will soon begin. Here are the latest earnings forecasts for the S&P 500 index and its' 11 sectors.

November returns were the best month in a good year. Compare your portfolio performance to key benchmarks below. Looking to improve results or to enhance long-term capital preservation? I'd to hear from you.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/12/november-2023-returns-and-asset-performance-2/

November 2023 Returns and Asset Performance Review November 2023 market returns and year-to-date financial performance. The scope of the benchmark report covers all major asset classes.

October again rewarded investors with portfolios geared toward low risk and capital preservation. See how your portfolio stacked up.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/11/october-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

October 2023 Returns and Asset Performance Pause and review October 2023 market returns and year-to-date financial performance. Free report scope covers all major asset classes.

Markets are at an key juncture. Here are the latest fund flows to see how investor fund allocations are changing.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/10/etf-fund-flows-october-20-2023/

ETF Fund Flows: October 20, 2023 A 'chart storm' is provide on ETF fund flows so you can quickly see investor rotations across different assets, market sectors, and indexes.

People often wonder if now is the right time for them to hire a financial advisor. And if not now, then when? While almost anyone could benefit from working with a financial advisor, there are certain times in life where it really pays off to be working with one.

7 Signs It's Time To Hire a Financial Advisor Almost anyone can benefit from working with a financial advisor, but there are certain reasons and times in life where it really pays off to be working with one.

September was a notable month for US investment portfolios: (1) yields for bonds maturing in 20 years + had their largest quarterly advance since 2009, (2) the US Dollar completed 11 consecutive weeks of price increases, and (3) crude oil advanced 8%. Against this backdrop, stocks and bonds had their worse losses of the year. Active risk management was rewarded in the third quarter, as were portfolios formulated for low volatility. See benchmark performance numbers below:

September 2023 Returns and Asset Performance A graphical summary of September 2023 returns and year-to-date financial performance across and within the major asset classes.

For many, the ability to engage in social impact investing or charitable giving is a function of working with funds trapped in an IRA. Here's how to make a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA with the goal to reduce taxes and to meet IRA distribution requirements. Have questions about how your IRA performance or administration? We'd love to hear from you.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/08/how-to-make-a-qualified-charitable-distribution-qdc-from-an-ira/

How to Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QDC) from an IRA Learn how to make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from an IRA to reduce your taxes and to support your social impact goals or favorite charity.

Introducing a new retirement tool

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/09/the-roth-401k-versus-the-traditional-401k/

The Roth 401K versus The Traditional 401K Roth 401K vs. Traditional 401K The Roth 401K was built on a simple idea: Save today and get a tax break tomorrow. This is the inverse of the traditional 401K, where workers set aside money to save for tomorrow and they get a tax break today. The Roth 401K is […]

August returns were weak, which is typical of the dog days of summer. Higher yields, lower trading volumes, and profit taking were key drivers. However, the market risk regime shifted from 'risk-off' to 'risk-on' and ended the month strong. Benchmark performance results are shared below. Have questions or concerns about the performance of your portfolio? We'd love to hear from you.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/09/august-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

August 2023 Returns and Asset Performance A graphical summary of August 2023 returns and year-to-date financial performance across and within the major asset classes.

QUAL is an exchange traded fund (ETF) that is up +21.3% YTD. It resumed its strong up trend on new fund flows this week. Selection screens to pick the 125 stocks in the fund include return on equity, stability of earnings, and debt-to-equity ratio. The chart below compares the fund's daily close price to daily ETF fund flows. Have questions about your portfolio?

I share the details behind five consecutive months of positive returns. Have questions about the performance of your portfolio? I'd love to hear from you. Brad Horn, Registered Investment Advisor.

July 2023 Returns and Asset Performance A graphical summary of July 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

Returns in June were solid and concentrated in the mega-cap equities, Meanwhile, market internals are improving: Market breadth behind the rally is improving as small cap shares outperformed large cap in June; under-priced value stocks outperformed high tech growth; and 2023 earnings estimates are rising. Have questions about your portfolio performance?

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/07/june-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

June 2023 Returns and Asset Performance A graphical summary of June 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

Outlook uncertainty swept across US markets in May. Investors struggled to anticipate the Fed's rate hike trajectory and differing narratives have confused the outlook regarding the timing of a US contraction. As a result, most asset groups were dominated by red ink, though some exceptional opportunities were still found...notably in megatrend growth stocks in the semiconductor, blockchain, and robotics industries. Have questions or concerns about the performance of your portfolio? Id love to hear from you.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/06/may-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

May 2023 Returns and Asset Performance A graphical summary of May 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

RETIREMENT PLANNING MASTERCLASS

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the UofM is sponsoring the Retirement Planning MasterClass. The class is offered in the summer semester in June at the College of Continuing & Professional Studies. The four-part course is designed to address the needs of detail-oriented people who want deeper insight into their retirement finances and planning risks. Learn about planning and investment strategies to make sure your retirement life and capital are better protected.

University of Minnesota Learn more about our retirement planning masterclass at olli.umn.edu

April market returns are worth a close look. Behind the lackluster numbers for the major indexes are strong performance by sector and for certain asset classes. Sector rotation was harder this month, but still resulted in positive gains.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/05/april-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

April 2023 Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of April 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

Total returns for 1Q.2023 are in and the results are solid, although the path has been volatile. US tech and megatrend companies topped all other sectors. European equities continue to outperform the US, while high-yield cash and fixed income positions provided the best risk-adjusted returns.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/04/march-2023-returns-and-asset-performance-2/

March 2023 Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of March 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

Which assets had the biggest gains in February? European equities. And which asset classes top returns since January? Megatrend equities for blockchain, semiconductors, robotics and AI. For more details, see whats driving the performance of your portfolio.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/03/february-2023-returns-and-asset-performance/

February 2023 Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of February 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

Investor returns in January were strong. Tactical asset allocations at Saffron Capital focussed on Communication Services, Consumer Durables, Technology and Real Estate. In fixed income markets, US infrastrucure bonds and real estate investment trusts were notably strong performaers. Finally, we placed bets in foreign developed and emerging markets, both of which outperformed US equities. The following report aims to help investors with portfolio benchmarking. Give us a call if you have questions or concerns about the performance of your portfolio.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/02/januaryr-2023-returns-and-asset-performance-2/

January 2023 Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of January 2023 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

We are proud to share that the model investment portfolios at Saffron Capital for tactical asset allocation and risk management yielded positive returns in 2022. Meanwhile, indexes for passive investing with no downside risk control were down significantly. Year-end performance across and within the different asset classes are profiled below.

https://saffroncapital.com/2023/01/december-2022-returns-and-asset-performance/

December 2022 Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of December 2022 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

RETIREMENT PLANNING MASTERCLASS

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Minnesota is sponsoring the Retirement Planning MasterClass. The class is offered in the winter semester at the College of Continuing & Professional Studies. The four-part course is designed to address the needs of detail-oriented people who want deep insight into their retirement finances. Learn about strategies to make sure your retirement life and capital are better protected.

University of Minnesota Learn more about our retirement planning masterclass at olli.umn.edu

November was a solid month for investors. Missing out? Look where the best returns can be found and give us a call to benefit from our risk managed model portfolios.

https://saffroncapital.com/2022/12/november-2022-returns-and-asset-performance/

November 2022 Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of November 2022 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.

https://saffroncapital.com/2022/11/october-returns-and-asset-performance-2/

Here are the market's asset returns for October and the year-to-date period. Have questions or concerns about your portfolio performance? Give us a call!

October Returns and Asset Performance We present a graphical summary of September 2022 returns and year-to-date performance across and within the major asset classes.