We know that during this crisis, many of you are experiencing anxiety about both your health and your financial future. We want you to know that Renaissance Financial and all its staff are looking out for you now as always. We are navigating the details of this unprecedented time along with you, but we want you to know that we are committed to keeping your financial future on track and our lines of communication open.

The Renaissance Financial physical office in Lincoln Center will be closed until the lockdown is over, but we will all be working from our homes and available to you in a number of ways:

Office phone calls

We will be checking voicemails on our main office phone line regularly but our response time may be slower than usual.

Cell phone calls

If you are already a client, your advisor will have shared his cell phone number with you and you are encouraged to use it during business hours.

Emails

The simplest way to reach us is to send an email to request a phone conversation, a video meeting or just a return email with answers to your questions. 

Video Meetings

During this time of social distancing, many of us have been using Zoom for everything from church services to family birthday parties to virtual doctor visits, so it is quite likely that you are already familiar with this option. Even if you are not, it is not difficult to learn. This is actually a wonderful new option that allows us  to have a face to face meeting—even to share our screen with you to show you any documents that we would typically share with you in person. If you would like to set up a virtual meeting, please email us with dates and times that might work for you. We will even send you instructions prior to the meeting to make it easy!

Your Accounts

You can view your account on online anytime HERE.

 

Thoughts on the Markets

We understand that this is a scary time in financial markets. We are monitoring markets closely and making adjustments where warranted. Questions abound about the depth and timing of markets, stocks, bonds, real estate and other investments. While we can offer no predictions with any degree of certitude, let me give you some of our thoughts:

  • The stock and bond markets will bottom out and eventually turn up when the investing public regains confidence in leadership and when additional cases of the corona virus are slowing. This reduction of new cases is the situation now in China and South Korea, both of which have taken drastic measures directed toward containment. The US response has been slower. With this in mind, stocks and corporate bonds will likely fall a bit further. However, in the near term, we are very likely nearing a bottom at which stocks and corporate bonds will be on sale- buy low!
  • While corporate bonds have generally lower risk than stocks, these bonds will and have declined due to perceived risk. Treasury bonds have been a safe haven and will continue to be perceived so. Bond interest rates are at historic lows. When markets begin to normalize - we think later this summer - interest rates will rise, resulting in interest rate risk and lower values for recently-purchased bonds. At this moment, we have many of you in cash (money market). Right now, "cash is king!!"
  • The volatility in the market has been, and will continue to be, unprecedented and unsettling. Daily Market swings in the DJIA (the DOW) have been 2,000 points in both directions. This will continue for several weeks to come. Please do not overreact to daily market swings!!  When volatility slows in the DJIA to less than 500 points each day, it will be a sign that the bottom is near. 
  • This is not a good time to sell stocks or stock funds. In the not-too-distant future there will be a buying opportunity. In other words: do not panic!
  • Each of you have unique portfolios, tailored to your individual financial circumstances. We do not believe in “one size fits all”. Please keep that in mind as we have discussions over the next few weeks.

What is most important to know during this complicated health and economic crisis is that the advisors and staff of Renaissance Financial are here for you--now and in the future. Though it may sound cliché, we really will get through this together.