The economic focus is, as it has been for most of the summer, on the now very familiar song and dance of the US consumer remaining strong in the midst of a global slow-down of manufacturing activity. Despite the problems in manufacturing (roughly 30% of the US economy), the US consumer is keeping the domestic economy growing, while Europe and Asia struggle with various economic inflection points. It feels like we are in the Bill Murray movie “Ground Hog Day”, where the main character relives the same day over and over. With the Federal Reserve cutting rates, again, and the ECB and Asia committed to providing economic stimulus to their respective economies, we are going to hit the pause button this month and take a break from the same old, same old.
Instead, we wanted to let everyone know that we have updated Stone Bridge’s website, with the most valuable addition being educational content and tools. Our website’s address is still the same (www.stonebridge-am.com), but we hope that the layout is better defined and, more importantly, that the new content is easily accessible, user friendly, and dare we say it, even valuable. If you have not done so already, please check it out and give us your feedback.
As part of our value-added proposition, we have added tools and links that we believe will, over time, prove very beneficial. On our home page (www.stonebridge-am.com), you are immediately introduced to two very useful tools. The first is a cutting-edge risk assessment tool—Riskalyze—which helps you determine your perception of investment risk. It generates a “risk number” in the form of a “speed limit”, which makes it easy to understand. The second is Stone Bridge Connect, your personal financial website which gives you a consolidated view of all your finances with interactive charts and detailed views. You can track your spending, create life goals, and monitor your progress toward those goals. This is where your planning journey begins! Just click the desired link and follow the prompts.
We have also made it easy for you to access your financial information from the website…just click the Client Login tab that appears across the top of every page. Whether you are looking for access to your monthly client report (and other features), Stone Bridge Connect, or the Fidelity login page, you will find them in the resulting drop-down menu. Your same logins will continue to grant access to your information. If you are new to any of the client portal features, give us a call and we will walk you through getting everything set up.
Our monthly Notes from Stone Bridge blog, as well as other interesting articles, are now located under our Insights tab. While all our new Notes are available there, the older ones (we have been writing them for over 7 year now!) should be available by the end of the quarter. Additionally, you now have access to third-party financial calculators, an investment glossary, and tax resources in our Tools section.
Check out all the new features and designs and let us know what you think. While we have put a lot of thought and effort into the new site, it still bears repeating—we sincerely welcome and value your feedback.