Bradway Financial

New Regulations to Shine Spotlight on 401k Plan Fees

2012-02-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

This Wall Street Journal story, "401k Plans Step Into the Sunshine," notes how new regulations will require plan administrators and investment companies to disclose the cost of 401k retirement plans. This will be a change for most providers of 401k plans. But not for us. We've always provided transparency on fees and other plan costs. To learn more, check out our Bradway B2B page.

Join Our Conference Call on Retirement in Era of Longer Lives

2011-11-10T16:11:00.002-05:00

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, we will take a thought-provoking look at what work and retirement will mean in an era of longer, healthier lives. We will summarize some of the points made in the book, "The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife." Our aim is to get you thinking about these issues in advance of your next review session, when we would like to focus on your retirement

Storm Recovery: We're Available If You Need Us

2011-11-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

We hope all of our clients are faring as well as can be expected during the aftermath of the snowstorm and widespread blackouts. Although we are not having office hours yet -- our Longmeadow and West Hartford offices remain without power -- we are available to work on any account issues you may have. We are checking our email and voicemail frequently, so feel free to contact us. We expect to

You'll Be Able to Contribute More to Your 401k Beginning Next Year

2011-10-25T11:11:00.000-04:00

You'll be able to contribute slightly more to your 401k, 403b and 457 workplace retirement plans in 2012 under changes the Internal Revenue Service announced last week. The changes, made to reflect increases in the cost of living, also raised certain adjusted gross income limits for contributions to individual retirement accounts. Beginning next year you'll be able to contribute $17,000 to your

Let Our B2B Team Review Your Workplace Retirement Plan

2011-10-20T12:52:00.001-04:00

If you are a business owner, you owe it to yourself and your employees to regularly review your workplace retirement plan to make sure that it fits the needs of your company. We’ve found that it’s common for small and medium-sized employers to take a “set it and forget it” approach to their retirement plans. The retirement plan typically is established when the company is young and has relatively

Join Our Thursday Conference Call on Market Conditions

2011-09-27T09:04:00.001-04:00

Our advisors will hold conference calls on Thursday, Oct. 6, to review current market conditions. We will make a brief presentation and then open the call to any questions or concerns that you may have. The call for clients of Richard G. Duncan will be held at 6 p.m. The call for clients of Brian K. Case and Craig A. Roncaioli will be held at 7 p.m. To join the call, dial 800-786-1922 a few

New Tool Helps Us Better Manage Your Workplace Retirement Accounts

2011-09-09T11:38:00.000-04:00

When Bradway Financial is the registered investment advisor on any of your accounts, our custodians provide us with the technology to make changes across all accounts to keep them in line with our current investment model. Our primary custodian is Fidelity, but we also have relationships with Schwab, TDAmeritrade and others. This is very different from how we have had to handle your workplace

The Concept of Retirement is Changing. Learn What it Means for You

2011-09-09T11:22:00.000-04:00

As we’ve shared in our recent blog posts and twice-monthly email News Digests, The Fairholme Fund has lagged other investments in our Strategic Portfolio model this year. Whenever an investment trails its peers or falls short of our expectations, it raises a yellow flag for us. We investigate in an effort to understand the reasons for lagging returns and to determine what,

Learn About Potential Insight Fund Private Investment Opportunity

2011-06-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

We are performing due diligence on a potential Bradway Capital Insight Fund investment in MicroVu, a fast-growing company that helps employers recover medical claim overpayments. Rising healthcare costs are a burden for private businesses, public health plan sponsors and insurers. Most executives are trying to contain spiraling health care costs. One avenue they are pursuing is recovering

Monthly Conference Calls Taking Hiatus for the Summer

2011-06-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

We plan to resume hosting monthly conference calls on financial planning and investment-related topics in September. We've found that call participation dips during the summer months, when clients are enjoying vacations. We will, however, hold a conference call if there is significant market or economic news to share with you in an interactive format. Meanwhile, we will keep posting the latest

PIMCO's Gross: U.S. Debt Situation More Dire Than Greece's

2011-06-14T15:01:00.000-04:00

Bill Gross, the influential manager of PIMCO Total Return, the world's largest bond fund, said this week that the U.S. government's debt situation is worse than that of Greece and most of Europe. It took a while to dig this hole, Gross said, and it will take a while to dig out of it. The upshot is that German debt, not U.S. debt, may become the safe investment of choice for global investors. To

Recipe for Success in Emerging Markets

2011-06-10T15:35:00.000-04:00

Unique consumer products or services, highly protected patents and globally esteemed brands are some qualities that could distinguish a company to compete successfully in emerging markets, the managers of the Thornburg International Value fund told Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm. In a Q&A with Morningstar, Thornburg managers Bill Fries, Wendy Trevisani and Lei Wang also

Fairholme's Berkowitz: Financial Investments Will Pay Off

2011-06-09T15:28:00.001-04:00

Fairholme Fund manager Bruce Berkowitz defended his investments in hated financial companies during an interview this week with Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm. To read the story, click here. The fund was down 13 percent year-to-date through June 8, mostly due to the poor performance of Fairholme's investment in insurer AIG and banks such as Bank of America. The fund has

Advisor Brian K. Case, Team Ride for Best Buddies

2011-06-07T14:41:00.002-04:00

Advisor Brian K. Case was a member of Team Western Mass during a Saturday bike ride from Boston to Hyannis Port in support of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The 100-mile ride raises money for Best Buddies, a charity dedicated to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities form friendships and find jobs in their communities. Brian raised $1,450,

Bradway Supports Katelynn's Ride

2011-06-07T14:10:00.000-04:00

Bradway Financial once again was proud to sponsor and pitch in during Katelynn's Ride, a charity event held on Sunday at Hampshire College. The event raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund and Baystate Medical Center's pediatric oncology program. Advisors Brian K. Case and Craig A. Roncaioli participated, as did Client Services Manager Sue Holland and her husband, Todd.

Tactical Portfolio Moves Out of Emerging Markets in Favor of U.S.

2011-06-07T13:29:00.004-04:00

As you may have noticed from your recent account statements, we have made some changes to the Tactical Portfolio. Specifically, we have sold our investments in emerging markets stocks and bonds in favor of U.S. investments. As this year has unfolded, it's been more rewarding to be in U.S. small- and mid-cap stocks than our emerging markets exposure to Brazil and China. We believe that emerging

Royce Manager Peers into Crystal Ball

2011-06-02T16:04:00.000-04:00

Francis "Frank" Gannon, an assistant portfolio manager at The Royce Funds, this month asks whether stocks can move beyond their current peaks. The beginning of May, he noted, marked a shift in the financial markets. The small-cap Russell 2000 Index lost 1.9 percent during the month. And now concerns about slowing economic growth have rattled the markets. "To us, the reality of earnings results

Morningstar Spotlights Oakmark Global

2011-06-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

The Oakmark Global fund, a component of many client accounts, was among the funds touted this week in a "Five-Star Investor" column by Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm. The column, "Travel the World with These Topnotch Funds," noted that money resumed flowing into international stock funds in March and April. International funds had seen outflows during the first two months

PIMCO's Gross Discusses Current Bond Opportunities and Pitfalls

2011-06-02T15:23:00.002-04:00

Bill Gross, the influential head of the PIMCO Total Return Fund, the world's largest bond fund, writes this month about how the fund is doing quite well this year despite not holding Treasury bonds. In his monthly investment commentary, Gross spins two yarns about frogs to explain current bond opportunities and pitfalls. To read the commentary, click here. PIMCO Total Return is a component of

Longleaf Annual Presentation Materials Available Online

2011-05-31T12:12:00.000-04:00

The Longleaf Partners Funds has posted excerpts from its May 10 annual meeting to its website, including presentation slides and various short audio clips. You can access them here. Among the topics of the audio clips are a discussions of performance, risk and research, as well as macroeconomic views on Mideast uncertainty and the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. There are also

Fairholme Aims to Become More Nimble

2011-05-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

The Fairholme Fund has always taken a flexible approach to investing, which we like because it allows manager Bruce Berkowitz to go where the best opportunities can be found. This article from Institutional Investor, "Fairholme's Bruce Berkowitz Is Beating Hedge Fund Managers at Their Own Game," reaffirms what we already knew. "We’re trying to go in a direction we think most mutual funds will be

Morningstar Looks at Fairholme Fund's Underperformance

2011-05-24T15:18:00.000-04:00

The Fairholme Fund, a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, has been underperforming this year due to its concentrated investments in financial-related stocks, which have been slow to recover their value amid lingering uncertainty in the sector. Fairholme manager Bruce Berkowitz admits the fund's performance has been "horrible" this year and says the entry into financial stocks may have

Oakmark Posts Semi-Annual Report

2011-05-24T15:04:00.000-04:00

The Oakmark Funds has posted its semi-annual report, which features manager commentary, lists top holdings and performance figures. You can read it here. Oakmark Equity & Income is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Oakmark Global Select, meanwhile, was a component of the portfolio until we made portfolio changes in

An Interesting Take on the Debt Ceiling

2011-05-17T13:05:00.003-04:00

Click here for an interesting contrarian view of the U.S. debt ceiling and its impact. The article, by The Wall Street Journal's John Freeman, explores the view of investor Stanley Druckenmiller.

2 Portfolio Fund Managers Stress Importance of Global Investing

2011-05-11T13:24:00.000-04:00

The best investment opportunities no longer are found in the United States, the managers of the First Eagle Global and Wintergreen funds told a trade publication conference. Instead, investors need to look overseas, Matthew McLennan and David Winters told an InvestmentNews conference this week. To read their take on global investing, click here. Both funds are components of the Bradway

CNET Addresses LastPass Data Breach

2011-05-06T21:07:00.003-04:00

Why potential LastPass data breach isn't last strawby Seth Rosenblatt Print E-mail 19 comments Share Popular third-party password manager LastPass revealed yesterday that it may well have been hacked and that some e-mail usernames and master passwords may have been stolen. Does this mean it's time to migrate to another password manager, or even abandon the entire concept of online password

Check Out First Quarter Newsletter for Case and Roncaioli Clients

2011-04-25T11:26:00.000-04:00

The first quarter 2011 newsletter for clients of advisors Brian K. Case and Craig A. Roncaioli is ready to download. You can access the document here. The newsletter contains information about recent changes to your accounts, answers to client questions about portfolio changes, tips about how to protect your identity and more. You can read it online at Google Docs, or for a better reading

Longleaf Posts First-Quarter Letter to Shareholders

2011-04-20T14:21:00.000-04:00

The Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund has posted its first quarter letter to shareholders. You can read it here. For the quarter, the fund returned 9.7 percent vs. the benchmark Russell 2000 Index return of 7.9 percent. The Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Not all clients have

PIMCO's Gross Discusses Total Return Fund Strategy

2011-04-19T12:48:00.000-04:00

Bill Gross, manager of the PIMCO Total Return Fund, a component of many client accounts, discussed the fund's strategy in an interview with mutual fund ratings and analysis firm Morningstar. He said the fund aims to provide a 5 to 5.5 percent annual return and beat inflation. To watch the video or read a transcript, click here.

Oakmark Equity & Income Fund Posts First-Quarter Results

2011-04-19T12:43:00.001-04:00

The Oakmark Equity & Income Fund, a component of many client accounts, has reported positive first-quarter results. The fund's 5 percent return slightly bested the 4 percent return of the Lipper Balanced Fund Index. Since the fund's inception in 1995, it has earned an 11 percent annualized return vs. the balanced index return of 7 percent. To read management's quarterly letter to shareholders,

Thanks for Your Support of Children with Cancer

2011-04-18T14:54:00.001-04:00

On Sunday I had my head shaved to stand in solidarity with kids with cancer and to raise money to help find a cure. Thanks to the support of my friends, family and clients I raised $2,009 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. It's not too late to contribute. Just click here to visit my fund-raising page. In the photos below, I'm getting clipped and smiling with friend and fellow participant Todd

April 14 Conference Call Podcast Available

2011-04-18T13:59:00.001-04:00

To listen to a podcast of our April 14 conference call, which reviewed changes to the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, click on the player below. Podcast Powered By Podbean Or, to download the podcast so you can play it on your iPod or other mp3 player, click on the link below. Download this episode (right click and save) To view the presentation slides, click here. For optimal

Reminder: Conference Call Tonight to Review Portfolio Changes

2011-04-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

We will hold a client conference call at 7 p.m. on April 14 to review changes to the Strategic Portfolio. To participate, dial 1-800-786-1922 just before 7 p.m., enter passcode 97115842 and follow the prompts. To download our presentation slides, click here. (We recommend downloading the pdf file, rather than viewing on Google docs.)

Learn About Important Changes to Your Accounts

2011-04-12T18:11:00.000-04:00

When you receive your next account statements you will notice that we made several changes to our model portfolio this month, all designed to take advantage of current opportunities. The long story short is this: We sold three funds to concentrate our global stock exposure with our favorite managers. And we added new exposure to emerging market bonds. As a reminder, we reimburse your accounts

Bradway Donates Bike to Support JCC Auction

2011-04-06T11:12:00.000-04:00

We have donated a Redline BMX bike to the Springfield Jewish Community Center's online auction, which is being held through April 10. The auction supports critical services that the JCC provides to seniors and youth. For more information on the auction, click here.

Charitable Donation Tax Provision Extended

2011-04-06T11:03:00.000-04:00

Among the tax changes Congress approved as 2010 drew to a close was an extension of the provision that allows people age 70 1/2 and older to make tax-free charitable donations using funds transferred directly from their IRAs to qualified charitable organizations. You can transfer any amount up to $100,000 through the end of 2011. The transfer doesn't generate taxable income or a tax deduction,

Mark Your Calendars

2011-04-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

We'd love to have you join us for a presentation, food and drink at one of our spring client meetings next month. The evening meetings will be held in West Hartford on May 11 and in Longmeadow on May 12. We'll have more specific details soon.

Royce Posts First-Quarter Commentary

2011-04-04T14:10:00.000-04:00

In his first-quarter commentary, Chuck Royce, president and co-chief investment officer of The Royce Funds, discusses market performance, the potential impact of global events on the economic recovery and the long-term prospect for stocks. To read the commentary, click here. The Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund is a component of many client accounts.

PIMCO's Gross: Entitlements Key to Cutting Federal Deficit

2011-03-31T14:49:00.001-04:00

The United States can only fix its mounting federal budget deficit by addressing unsustainable entitlement spending, Bill Gross, the influential head of the world's largest bond fund, PIMCO Total Return, wrote in his monthly commentary. The fund, which is part of many client accounts, essentially sold off its Treasury holdings in recent months. If testifying before Congress, Gross said he'd say:

Morningstar: Oakmark Remains "Sturdy" Despite Level of Investments in Japan

2011-03-28T14:10:00.000-04:00

In the wake of the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan, mutual fund ratings and analysis firm Morningstar examined the Oakmark Funds and its high level of Japanese investments. The conclusion? "Oakmark Funds Sturdy Despite Outsized Japan Exposure." The story notes that, in total, the Oakmark Funds has 22.4 percent of its assets invested in Japan. The Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which has

Learn How Third Avenue Safeguards Your Investments

2011-03-28T13:59:00.000-04:00

Curtis Jensen, chief investment officer at Third Avenue Management, discussed the firm's investment philosophy in an interview this week with Steve Forbes of Forbes magazine. One of Bradway's key themes is alignment of interests. Our advisors, for example, manage their own accounts the same way they manage client accounts. When possible, we take that one step further by seeking investments in

Strategic Portfolio Funds Garner Top Awards from Lipper

2011-03-28T13:49:00.001-04:00

Several components of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio were recipients of Lipper Fund Awards for 2011, presented last week in New York. Clyde McGregor, who manages the Oakmark Equity & Income Fund, received the inaugural award for excellence in fund management. The award recognizes McGregor's achievements over his 34-year investment career. (For a Reuters interview with McGregor, click here.)

Miami Newspaper Profiles Fairholme's Bruce Berkowitz

2011-03-28T13:29:00.000-04:00

In an in-depth story published today, The Miami Herald takes an in-depth look at Bruce Berkowitz and his management of The Fairholme Fund. The story delves into his investment philosophy, work ethic and personality and notes that his family has $300 million invested in Fairholme. To read the story, click here. The Fairholme Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which consists

Wintergreen Takes Activist Role in Florida Company

2011-03-28T13:20:00.000-04:00

David Winters, manager of the Wintergreen fund, is known for taking activist positions when he feels that companies he invests in are not being managed for the benefit of shareholders. This blog post from The New York Times is an example of how Winters takes on management. In this case, he's being critical of Consolidated-Tomoka, a Florida real estate development company, and calling for the

Take Steps to Protect Your Identity

2011-03-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

Identity theft is a growing problem, and we believe that our clients should take steps to protect their personally identifiable information. We previously recommended Lifelock as a way to safeguard your identity. Changes in what Lifelock and similar services can offer consumers have prompted us to reconsider that recommendation. While Lifelock remains a one-stop shop for monitoring your identity

Reuters Profiles Wintergreen, Manager David Winters

2011-03-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

The Reuters news service this week profiled David Winters, the manager of the Wintergreen Fund, which is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio. To read the story about Winters and his stock picks, click here. The Bradway Strategic Portfolio consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Not all clients have investments in the Strategic Portfolio.

Morningstar Spotlights 2 Portfolio Small-Cap Funds

2011-03-21T15:36:00.000-04:00

Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm, highlighted two of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio's small-cap funds in a story posted this week on its website, "Meet the Small-Cap Specialists: These are four of the best." The story noted the strong long-term performance of The Royce Funds and Third Avenue Value. To read the story, click here. The Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund and Third

Commentary on Japan

2011-03-18T08:31:00.000-04:00

It is with heavy hearts that we have been watching events unfold in Japan. The earthquake, tsunami and ongoing nuclear crisis are tragic disasters. If you're interested in contributing to charities that will be assisting in Japan relief efforts, please consider the organizations listed here. When weighing the disaster's human toll, the last thing on anyone's mind is stopping to consider the

First Eagle: Expect Volatility, Price Declines in Japanese Stocks

2011-03-17T14:15:00.000-04:00

In a manager commentary this week, the First Eagle Funds said they expected continued volatility in Japanese stocks and price declines in their investments in Japanese companies over the short-term in the wake of the tragic March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The commentary provides details on how the disaster has affected some of the First Eagle Global fund's holdings in Japan. The long-term

Longleaf: Don't Invest Where You Wouldn't Visit

2011-03-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

Longleaf Funds managers Mason Hawkins and Staley Cates answered questions about international investing this month in an interview with Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm. They also addressed their value-investing philosophy and how they pick "unloved" stocks. To read more, click here. The Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio,

Oppenheimer Funds Provides Perspective on Japan Tragedy

2011-03-17T11:31:00.000-04:00

As Japan struggles to cope with the tragic effects of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, Oppenheimer Funds Senior Investment Officer Jerry Webman noted this week that Japan is likely among the most able in the world to overcome the challenges it now faces. "While the human toll is paramount, we must now begin to address market concerns over the financial and economic costs," he wrote.

Oakmark Takes Long-Term View on Japan Investments

2011-03-17T11:21:00.000-04:00

Despite the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan, investors should not worry about the long-term prospects of Japanese companies, David Herro, manager of the Oakmark Global Select Fund, wrote this week. There is uncertainty in the near-term as the nation struggles to recover, Herro wrote. But the Oakmark Global Select fund does not have investments in Japan's insurance, energy or utilities

Check Out Fourth-Quarter Newsletter for Case and Roncaioli Clients

2011-03-15T13:17:00.000-04:00

The fourth-quarter newsletter for clients of advisors Brian K. Case and Craig A. Roncaioli is ready to download. You can access the document here. You can read it online at Google Docs, or for a better reading experience, you can download it to your computer. In either case, you can take advantage of links sprinkled throughout the document that will take you to additional information. And, of

Do You Have a Tax Question? Ask a CPA During March Conference Call

2011-03-09T12:26:00.000-05:00

Our next conference call, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, will feature William T. Reichelt, CPA, who will answer your tax questions. Meanwhile, if you have a tax question you'd like to pass along in advance, please e-mail it to bill.stephens@bradwayfinancial.com To join the call, dial 800-786-1922 just prior to 6 p.m., enter passcode 97115842 and follow the prompts. For more

Check Out Summary of Our Conference Call with Royce Funds

2011-03-09T12:14:00.000-05:00

If you missed our February conference call with Francis "Frank" Gannon of The Royce Funds, check out our summary of the call. It's available by clicking here. You can download the pdf file, view it online or print it out. If you view the document online or download the pdf and read it on your computer you'll be able to click on links that are sprinkled throughout the document and provide more

Get Royce Funds' Take on Tech Stocks

2011-03-02T09:25:00.001-05:00

Francis "Frank" Gannon, an assistant portfolio manager at The Royce Funds, discusses technology stocks in his monthly "Gannon Report" on the Royce website. The tech stocks of today are different than those of the 1990s, he writes, and the market views them differently, too -- which creates opportunities for patient investors. To learn more, you can read his report here. The Royce Low-Priced

Deal Shows the Potential of Private Investment Opportunities

2011-02-28T11:52:00.000-05:00

We are members of River Valley Investors, a group of individual investors who work in concert to find and evaluate opportunities in early stage companies. Our RVI membership is part of our effort to systematically search for suitable investments for the Bradway Capital Insight Fund. This month RVI announced that one of its portfolio companies, the biotech startup SmartCells, has agreed to be

First Eagle Global Manager Featured on CNBC

2011-02-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

We don't recommend watching CNBC because the business channel's focus on the market's daily gyrations is a distraction for long-term investors. Nonetheless, the network last week aired a worthwhile interview with First Eagle Global manager Matthew McLennan. With many investors chasing returns in emerging markets, McLennan and First Eagle Global have been finding opportunities in Japan and the

Listen to Podcast of Our Conference Call with Royce Funds Manager

2011-02-18T13:41:00.001-05:00

Francis Gannon, an assistant portfolio manager and principal with Royce and Associates, was the guest on our February conference call. Learn how The Royce Funds invests on your behalf by listening to the call. The Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Not all clients have investments in the

Appleseed Fund Posts Quarterly Shareholder Letter

2011-02-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

The Appleseed Fund, a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, has posted its quarterly letter to shareholders. In the letter, the fund's managers outline their economic and investment overview. You can read it here. The Strategic Portfolio consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Not all clients have investments in the Strategic Portfolio.

Newspaper Shines Spotlight on Longleaf

2011-02-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year when copycat investors get to see what their favorite superstar investors have been up to for the past quarter, The Globe and Mail newspaper of Toronto noted in a blog this week. "Large investors are required to file changes to their holdings every quarter with the Securities and Exchange Commission, giving smaller investors a peek at the moves of the gurus, including

Royce Discusses Small-Cap Outlook

2011-02-09T10:08:00.001-05:00

In an appearance last weekend on the PBS show "WealthTrack," The Royce Funds President and Co-Chief Investment Officer Chuck Royce discussed the outlook for small-cap stocks and what the firm looks for in companies it selects for its funds. To read a transcript of the show, click here. To watch the episode, click here. The Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic

PIMCO's Gross: Low Interest Rates a Burden for Savers

2011-02-02T15:25:00.000-05:00

Government banks' insistence on keeping interest rates low is a "devil's bargain" that shortchanges savers and bond investors, Bill Gross, the influential head of the world's largest bond fund, PIMCO Total Return, wrote in his February commentary. In his commentary, he rails against bankers, obscene profits on Wall Street and a political class that lacks the will to enact public policy that

Read Summary of College Planning Conference Call

2011-02-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

We have posted a summary of our January conference call, which featured a discussion with Adam Metsch of the College Advisor of New England, Inc., on how to prepare for the college application and selection process. To read the document, click here. To listen to a podcast of the call, click here.

Fairholme Manager Appears on Bloomberg News

2011-02-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

Bruce Berkowitz, manager of The Fairholme Fund, was interviewed by Bloomberg News in a story that aired this week. In the interview, Berkowitz discussed the fund's investment in insurance giant AIG, as well as his outlook for the future. To watch the video, click here. The Fairholme Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which consists primarily of investments with top money

First Eagle Global Posts Fourth-Quarter Fund Commentary

2011-01-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

The First Eagle Global Fund, a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, has posted its fourth-quarter 2010 commentary. You can read it here. The fund gained 9.21 percent in the fourth quarter, slightly topping the MSCI World Index gain of 8.95 percent. The Strategic Portfolio consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Not all clients have investments in the Strategic

2 Bradway Strategic Portfolio Managers Featured in SmartMoney

2011-01-26T16:42:00.000-05:00

Two managers whose funds are components of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio were featured in a SmartMoney magazine article, "Hunting the Globe," part of the Wall Street Journal magazine's annual investor roundtable. Matthew McLennan, a portfolio manager at First Eagle Global, and William Fries, a portfolio manager for the Thornburg International Value Fund, share some of their global investing

Longleaf Partners Funds Releases Annual Letter to Shareholders

2011-01-26T16:35:00.000-05:00

The Longleaf Partners Funds, including the Longleaf Partners Small-Cap Fund, a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, this week posted its annual letter to shareholders. The Small-Cap Fund returned 22.3 percent in 2010, exceeding Longleaf's absolute return goal of inflation plus 10 percent. The relative returns trailed the fund's benchmark, the Russell 2000, which posted a gain of 26.9

Muni Funds Experience Worst Ever Outflows - from Morningstar

2011-01-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

The $13.4 billion that exited municipal bond funds in December shattered the previous record of $8.0 billion set during October 2010. More than $20 billion left municipal-bond funds in the final two months of 2008, which is already significantly greater than the $13.9 billion that left muni funds over four consecutive months of net outflows during the financial crisis starting in September 2008.

Royce Funds Management Provides Insight into Small-Cap Stocks

2011-01-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

The Royce Funds website this month includes several new commentaries you may be interested in reading. First, co-Chief Investment Officer Chuck Royce discusses the fourth quarter and recaps the full year in stocks. In his commentary, he answers a few questions, including: Why did the stock market have such a good 2010 in light of economic gloom, and why did small-cap stocks outpace larger-cap

Listen to a Podcast of Our January College Planning Conference Call

2011-01-21T13:26:00.002-05:00

Our Jan. 20 client conference call covered how to plan for the college selection, application and financial aid process. Our guest presenter was Adam Metsch, founder of The College Advisor of New England, Inc., based in East Longmeadow. To listen to a podcast of the call, click below. Podcast Powered By Podbean

Understanding the Relationship Between Bond Prices and Yields

2011-01-20T17:27:00.007-05:00

One of the toughest things for investors to understand is the inverse correlation between bond yields and bond prices. In other words, they trend in opposite directions. The chart below shows the relationship very clearly. During the second half of 2010, which appears on the far right side of the chart, bond yields (red line) started climbing on economic growth and inflation fears.

PIMCO'S Gross: U.S. Must Stop Mindless Spending

2011-01-19T06:28:00.000-05:00

In his monthly investment outlook, Bill Gross, the influential manager of the world's largest bond fund, PIMCO Total Return, is highly critical of American politicians and voters for lacking an understanding of the true costs of running trillion-dollar deficits. Government policy is focused on maintaining consumption, Gross wrote, rather than on making the U.S. more competitive in the global

Collapse of IPO Market Favors Private Investors

2011-01-18T12:48:00.008-05:00

By making it harder for companies to go public, Congress and regulators have tilted the playing field in favor of the wealthy and well-connected, an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal argued last week. This trend plays right into the hand of private investment vehicles such as the Bradway Capital Insight Fund. In a nutshell, regulations arising from the dot-com bust of a decade ago have

Morningstar: Thornburg Stands Out

2011-01-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm, last week published its latest review of the Thornburg fund family. The Thornburg International Value Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio. To read the story, "Thornburg Stands Out From the Crowd: The firm's culture is distinctive as well as attractive," click here to go to the Morningstar website. The Strategic Portfolio

It's Time to Review Tax Law Changes, But Not Time to File Your Taxes

2011-01-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

If you've been following the news, you may be aware that Congress made a number of changes to tax law as part of a compromise bill that was approved as 2010 drew to a close. For a helpful rundown of the most important changes and how they may affect you, click here to go to an article on the Fidelity website. Meanwhile, you'll probably open your mailbox soon and find it full of various tax

PIMCO Total Return Fund Cuts U.S. Government Bond Holdings

2011-01-14T14:38:00.000-05:00

PIMCO Total Return, the world's largest bond fund, last month cut its U.S. government-related holdings to their lowest level in nearly two years. The fund's holding of Treasurys, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, agencies' bonds and Treasury futures dropped to 22 percent in December, down from 30 percent in November. Although we removed the Total Return fund from our model portfolio last

Municipal Bond Market Continues to Fall

2011-01-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

The market for municipal bonds continues to tumble, The Wall Street Journal reported today, noting that "the once-safe market is under duress." A selloff yesterday send the market to its lowest level since the financial crisis of late 2008. To learn more, go to the Journal's site. We dramatically reduced our bond exposure last year when our forecast indicated trouble ahead for bonds.

PIMCO's Gross Doubts Projection for Municipal Bond Defaults

2011-01-13T11:52:00.000-05:00

Bill Gross, the influential head of PIMCO, this week said he disagrees with a leading analyst's prediction of a significant number of municipal bond defaults. Last month, in an interview withs "60 Minutes," analyst Meredith Whitney said that financially strapped states will further reduce aid to struggling municipalities. Some of these cities, towns and counties won't be able to honor their bond

Oakmark Equity & Income and Global Select Fund Letters Available

2011-01-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

Oakmark has posted fourth-quarter letters to shareholders in the Oakmark Equity & Income and Global Select funds. Both funds are components of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio. The Equity & Income Fund returned 7 percent for the fourth quarter, slightly ahead of the Lipper Balanced Fund Index. For the year, the fund returned 10 percent, 2 points below the Lipper index. Over the past 10 years,

Bradway Strategic Portfolio Outperforms Market in 2010

2011-01-06T12:22:00.000-05:00

The Bradway Strategic Portfolio generated a return of 19.15 percent for 2010 net of fees. We added value over the S&P 500 Index, a common measure of broad market performance, which gained 15.06 percent for the year. For the fourth quarter, the Strategic Portfolio returned 10.87 percent vs. the S&P's return of 10.76 percent. We use the model portfolio to implement our economic and investment

Royce: Expect Positive Returns and Volatility in Coming Years

2011-01-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

Chuck Royce, the president and co-chief investment officer of The Royce Funds, discussed the fourth quarter and recapped the full year in stocks in a commentary posted on the Royce website. The Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund is a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio. "Looking ahead to the next three to five years, we do not see the kind of returns on an annualized basis that we saw in 2010,

First Eagle Global Managers Respond to the Challenge of Uncertainty

2011-01-04T11:50:00.000-05:00

The First Eagle Funds annual report, covering the 12 months ending Oct. 31, 2010, is now available on the company website. The report, available here, contains management's investment outlook as well as a discussion of performance of the First Eagle Global fund, a component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio. In their letter to shareholders, First Eagle Global managers Matthew McLennan and Abhay

Third Avenue Annual Report Notes Success in 20 Years of Investing

2011-01-04T11:35:00.001-05:00

The Third Avenue Funds annual report, covering the 12 months ending Oct. 31, 2010, is now available on the company's website. The report contains insightful comments from fund managers. You can read the annual report here. Third Avenue Chairman Marty Whitman used his letter to shareholders to look back on the 20-year history of the Third Avenue Value Fund, which ranks No. 1 in the world stock

Danger Lurking in Municipal Bonds

2011-01-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

Last month the CBS News magazine "60 Minutes" aired a segment on the financial difficulties facing states and how that may bring about a much higher default rate for municipal bonds, an asset class that traditionally has been considered a relatively safe investment. Follow this link to watch the full segment. Follow this link to read a transcript.

Pet Angel Memorial Centers Video Now Online

2010-12-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Pet Angel Memorial Centers, one of the portfolio companies in the Bradway Capital Insight Fund, has posted a video that demonstrates how it stands out from the rest of the pet cremation industry. Pet Angel aims to become the standard of care in the industry by providing dignity for the pet, compassion for the family and value for its veterinary practice partners. To watch the video, click here.

Winters Nominated as Morningstar International Manager of the Year

2010-12-16T12:36:00.000-05:00

David Winters, manager of the Wintergreen Fund, this week was among Morningstar's five nominees for its annual International-Stock Manager of the Year award. Morningstar wrote that, "Thanks in large part to Winters' Malaysian and other Asian picks, this fund has returned 18.7 percent and outpaced more than 85 percent of its world-stock rivals for the year to date through Dec. 9. This is

Read Our Newsletter for Economic Outlook, Performance Report & More

2010-12-14T16:31:00.004-05:00

Check out our third quarter newsletter for our latest economic and investment outlook and a review of portfolio performance for the quarter and year. The document also features important information about user names and passwords, as well as other Bradway news. If you read the newsletter online, you can click on links sprinkled throughout the document that will take you to additional

First Eagle Manager Weighs in on Where to Invest in 2011

2010-12-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of Fortune magazine includes the story, "5 Experts: Where to Invest in 2011." Among the experts is First Eagle Global manager Abhay Deshpande. In this in-depth story, five managers chime in on where they see the most opportunity and risk in the year ahead. "We're global investors, so we can invest around the world," Deshpande told Fortune. "We don't have to invest anywhere in

Fairholme's Berkowitz Nominated as Domestic Stock Manager of the Year

2010-12-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

Morningstar, the mutual fund ratings and analysis firm, has named five nominees for Domestic Stock Manager of the Year, a list that includes last year's winner and the fund Manager of the Decade, Bruce Berkowitz of The Fairholme Fund. In announcing the slate of candidates for 2010, Morningstar wrote: "Yes, the Morningstar Manager of the Decade and Manager of the Year for 2009 is back near the

Fortune Magazine Profiles Fairholme Fund Manager Bruce Berkowitz

2010-12-10T13:44:00.000-05:00

Fairholme Fund manager Bruce Berkowitz is the subject of an in-depth feature in Fortune magazine this week. To read, "Bruce Berkowitz: The Megamind of Miami," click here. The Fairholme Fund is a core component of the Bradway Strategic Portfolio, which consists primarily of investments with top money managers. Not all clients have investments in the Strategic Portfolio.

Our Negative Bond Scenario Is Beginning to Play Out

2010-12-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

As you may recall, we significantly reduced our bond exposure in May as part of a reallocation and rebalancing of our investment portfolios. The rationale was simple: Bond yields were no longer attractive and were likely to get downright unattractive if we see inflation as we pull further out of the recession. Furthermore, bond yields and prices move in opposite directions. As prices rise, yields

PIMCO Total Return Volatility Explained

2010-12-09T09:15:00.000-05:00

Many client accounts include the PIMCO Total Return Fund. Yesterday was a distribution day for the fund, which made it appear as if its value dropped by 5.26 percent. This volatility -- which is highly unusual for the fund -- was caused by a large distribution, not an actual fall in value. The Total Return Fund dropped 60 cents yesterday, to $10.80 per share. But according to PIMCO's estimates,

Lending Club in Spotlight as Investors Seek Higher Returns

2010-12-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

Some of our clients have accounts with Lending Club, an online peer-to-peer lending service. Advisor Brian K. Case has had an account with Lending Club since its inception three years ago. Lending Club investors are currently earning an average return of 9.6 percent. Lending Club was recently featured in several publications. To read a story from Forbes, click here. To read a story from