With markets back in positive territory, but the memory of the drawdown still fresh – now is a great time to pause and reflect:

An exploration of common types of international investments and why they can provide valuable diversification for US-focused portfolios.

An overview of unrealized gains and losses, the precise meaning of these metrics, and why they are often not a complete picture of long-term performance.

How total return combines income and capital appreciation to provide a complete picture of investment performance.

With much attention on the Federal Reserve and interest rates recently, we want to dive deeper into what it means when the Fed cuts rates, how it affects the broader economy, and what potential investment implications you should consider.

In the world of finance, few indicators strike fear into the hearts of investors quite like the dreaded inverted yield curve. It's often hailed as an ominous harbinger of economic downturns, sending shockwaves through markets and sparking widespread concern. But does an inverted yield curve truly signify an impending recession every time? Let's delve into this financial phenomenon and separate fact from fiction.

Throughout history, there always seems to be a new grouping of stocks receiving a fancy name after performing well. When hearing headlines about stocks like this, a common question that arises is: why not just buy those select stocks? Here at Greenspring, we believe in utilizing pooled investment vehicles like mutual funds or ETFs, where you still get exposure to popular stocks but are much more diversified and face less risk.

While Greenspring likes some alternative assets and has included them in our client portfolios over the years, we do not think Bitcoin merits a dedicated portion of an investment portfolio. Bitcoin is almost pure speculation with little intrinsic value.  Unlike stocks and bonds, there are no profits, dividends or interest, and the price is based only on what a buyer is willing to pay.