Thoughts {04.11.16}

Stocks look to shake off last weeks lethargy as futures rise modestly at the open.  Markets still overbought by our work.

Is it just me or is anybody else amazed with how much time I have to spend  just dealing with all the little quirks and unexpected developments seem to constantly arise with technology.   I tried to do an upgrade to my cellphone over the weekend with AT&T* that entailed me spending more than 30 minutes on a Saturday afternoon with a customer service representative.  At least she admitted the issue wasn't my fault and worked diligently to resolve the issue which is more than I can say for Comcast from a couple of weeks ago. At least there was somebody to talk to over at AT&T.  There was nobody to talk to when I upgraded my iPad Sunday to Apple's IOS 9.3.  That was another 45 minutes during of trying to figure out online what had gone wrong.  Look, I think a lot of this new technology is wonderful but I sometimes miss the simplicity of the old days when for example the remote on your TV turned it on and changed the channels.  At least it rained here in Chicago over the weekend.

In that line of thinking, I'd also wish all the cable companies and cellphone companies would quit calling me.  These guys are constantly trying to sell me products for my TV and internet that I will never use.  Heck on my TV I already can see over 500 channels and I probably maybe in the course of a year watch maybe 30 of them.

Go read Cullen Roche's article, "Is Your Advisor a Fiduciary?"  Key takeaway:

"In my opinion, a financial adviser or portfolio manager should look less like a car salesman and more like a personal trainer/shopper. A car salesman sells you whatever is on his lot, preferably the most expensive car. A good personal trainer/shopper constructs a personal plan for you and goes out and buys the products that will help you meet those goals. They don’t just go out and sell you the product that earns them the most money.  They are experts in understanding what products will serve you best and constructing/maintaining the plan that will serve your best interest in the long-term."

First quarter earnings season begins this week.  Investors already know the quarter was week and corporate America doesn't have last winter's rotten weather to use as an excuse.  The good news for the markets is that news seems to have already been discounted and voices are out there saying that Q1 2016 may be the trough in earnings.  Will have to see what the real world says about that and hear in aggregate what forward guidance sounds like before I'll be convinced we're at the end of this soft spot.

Back tomorrow.

*ATT, Comcast  and Apple are components of various ETFs that we own for clients and in personal accounts.  Positions can change without notice here on this blog.  Nothing in this post should be construed as a recommendation of any kind regarding these securities.