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Industry News

The below highlighted news links and articles have been hand-picked by your WealthCoaches™ or are featuring your WealthCoaches™.

Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product, or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this publication will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this publication serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from FirstWave Financial. A copy of the FirstWave’s current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request.

FirstWave Financial® and Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) are not affiliated and any DFA article shared should not be considered an endorsement of Dimensional’s RIA. FirstWave Financial is not responsible or liable for the content of their articles and makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information contained within.

AI – Artificial Intelligence vs Aggregate Intelligence

By FirstWave Financial®

It doesn’t seem like almost forty years ago when the first Terminator movie was released in 1984. Some of the warnings we are hearing now from Elon Musk and others sound a lot like the ones in that movie. Just substitute ChatGPT for Cyberdyne Systems and the Internet for Skynet and today’s conversations about artificial intelligence sound eerily familiar.

What about the effect AI will have on investing? The following article written by Dimensional Fund Advisors tackles this question. It describes another kind of AI at work in the investment environment – Aggregate Intelligence – the tens of millions of investors, continuously digesting all current information to set prices in an open market, then adjusting those prices based on new information when it becomes available. The article suggests that while Artificial Intelligence can help organize data and identify patterns that, from an investment standpoint, it pales in comparison to the informational content of Aggregate Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is all around us and is here to stay. Contact a FirstWave Financial WealthCoach TM to take advantage of this and the Aggregate Intelligence of the global investment marketplace.

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United Way celebrates $5.13 million in annual donations

Tyler Vazquez
Florida Today

April 26, 2023

United Way of Brevard celebrated its donors in a big year for the charity organization at their awards banquet Tuesday night with L3 Harris and Publix being the biggest givers.

Held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cocoa Beach, the event recognized the generosity of supporters who contributed to the organization’s fundraising efforts. Together, companies and organizations on the Space Coast raised $5.13 million, which goes directly toward improving the lives of individuals and families in need throughout the county.

L3Harris and its employees were the largest contributors, raising $1.4 million. Other notable contributors were companies like Space Coast Credit Union, whose employees raised $272,756, and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with $171,235 raised this past year. Other companies like Coastal Health Systems, an emergency transport service, were recognized not just for their monetary contribution but for the work they do day in, day out. Coastal received Chairman’s Award for efforts such as “teddy bear clinics” to educate Girl Scouts, offering clinical ride-alongs to EMT and paramedic students, and offering scholarships to EMT and paramedic programs.

Recipients of the Campaign Awards of Distinction for consistent top performers included: MH Williams Construction Group, Inc.; Carr, Riggs & Ingram; Raymond James & Associates, Inc.; Community Credit Union of Florida; Space Florida; Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast; FirstWave Financial; and Lotane & Associates, P.A.

Jackie Barker, CEO and president of SKY Advertising CEO and United Way 2022 campaign chair, described the money raised this year for charities, as well as the work put in by local companies, as a “huge win.”

“As I reflect on this last year, as challenging as it’s been, we’ve really come through it. To be able to bring this money into the community, I’m grateful for our staff and our partner agencies and most of all the generosity of people in our community who donate. They step up every time,” Barker said “This money goes to create financial stability, health services, safety net services. It goes across the board. We seek out the needs in our local communities to make sure the dollars stay here,” she added. “This is a cause that I’ve been part of for 25 years and we believe in. I’m so grateful for the community for stepping up.”

Tim Antonition, president of Space Coast Credit Union who will take over for Barker this coming year, said organizations like United Way are especially necessary now with so many economic uncertainties on the horizon.

He has served on United Way’s allocation panel, choosing which local organizations will receive needed funds.

‘We drive by our partner agencies and people are lining up to get food or come in and get a shower,” he said. “It opens your eyes to what’s going on right in front of us but we don’t always see it.”

“I don’t know what will happen with the economy,” Antition said. “But we’re going to prepare for everything.”
Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDATODAY.

Disclaimer: FirstWave and Dimensional Fund Advisors are not affiliated. This information is provided for purely educational purposes.

“You should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this publication serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from FirstWave Financial. A copy of the FirstWave’s current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request.”

FEBRUARY 17, 2023 – VOLATILITY: THE COST OF HIGHER RETURNs

Ah. Wouldn’t it be nice to make 10% per year, every year, on your investments where they never lost value? Unfortunately, that is not how the financial markets work. You won’t lose principal when investing in short term Treasury bills, but they have only averaged around a 3% return. You must be willing to accept volatility of the value of your investments (occasional and recurring short- term losses) to make higher long-term returns.

In the following article, David Booth (Chairman and Founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors) describes the higher long-term returns provided by the S&P 500, above the returns provided by T-bills, as the equity risk premium the financial market pays to investors who are willing to subject their investments to the occasional and recurring short-term losses of the equity market. This 7% equity risk premium has been consistent over the years, including over the last three.

An uncomfortable truth is that short-term equity market volatility is necessary for it to provide higher long-term returns. A properly designed portfolio can take advantage of this dynamic while also providing the stability necessary for cash flow and peace of mind. Contact a WealthCoach TM at FirstWave Financial to learn how.

Disclaimer: FirstWave and Dimensional Fund Advisors are not affiliated. This information is provided for purely educational purposes.

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July 7, 2022 – Chasing High Flying Stocks Risks Meme Reversion

It can sometimes be very tempting to think we can pick the next hot individual stock before it “pops”. Or when, with the benefit of hindsight, we read about a stock that has recently had meteoric performance we can experience FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out. These are understandable emotions that can be combatted with the more reliable strategies of broad diversification and goals-based investing.

The attached article by Dimensional Fund Advisors titled “Chasing High Flying Stocks Risks Meme Reversion” does a great job describing what can happen if we succumb to the emotional appeal of a get rich quick stock pick. Such a strategy is more like gambling than investing. In gambling you sometimes win big, but in the long run the house always wins and the odds are stacked against you. It can be entertaining to gamble with a few bucks occasionally, but you would never take a large portion of your life saving and place it on horse number 5 to win, nor should you on the next hot stock.

Through the diversified investment strategies used at FirstWave Financial, you own these high-flying stocks and all their competitors, large and small, in the global capital marketplace. This allows you to benefit from their appreciation with much less downside risk than by owning them individually.

To find out how we can help you transform the complexity and confusion surrounding this important topic into your improved WealthConfidence, call us today (321) 773-7773 to schedule your free initial consultation with one of our WealthCoaches™.

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Navigating Geopolitical Events

April 28, 2022

By FirstWave®Financial The US stock market is still bigger than all the rest combined, representing 57% of the world’s stock marketing capitalization. This combined with the fact that we are simply more comfortable investing in companies that are located in our country than those that are located abroad contributes to what is referred to as a domestic bias. This domestic bias can be further encouraged when geopolitical events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are added to the investing environment. It is hard enough to keep track of what is happening in our own country, let alone the rest of the world. But, if as Americans, we limit our investments to only US companies, we run the risk of missing the performance available from almost half of the world’s economy. How can we balance the risk and potential return? The attached article “Navigating Geopolitical Events” from Dimensional Fund Advisors summarizes the specific actions that have been taken considering the most recent Russian aggression and more broadly the strategies and actions they use to help mitigate risks of investing internationally while attempting to capture the returns that are available there. To find out how we can help you transform the complexity

Best Time To Invest

March 17, 2022

By FirstWave®Financial “I don’t want to invest now. The market is at or near its all-time high. I will wait for a better buying opportunity.” Sound familiar? This appears to be a very logical point of view, but it is not supported by the historical performance of the stock market. The Dimensional Fund Advisors titled “Why a Stock Peak Isn’t a Cliff” shows that the average returns one, three, and five years after a new month-end market high are similar to the average returns over any one, three, or five-year period. Another problem is that it has been shown repeatedly that trying to time the market is a bad idea. Take 2020, for example. During 2020, the S&P 500®Index saw a total return of 18.4%. If you were invested during that volatile year, you’d have done pretty well. But if you’d sold when the market dropped, not only would you have locked in your losses, you’d also have potentially missed out on those trading days with the greatest gains, which would’ve meant even bigger losses. For instance, if you’d missed the top 10 trading days of 2020, you’d be down 32.9%. If you’d missed the top 40 days, you’d be

October 11, 2021 – Will Inflation Hurt Stock Returns? Not Necessarily

Current financial headlines are dominated by alarm bells about the recent increases in the prices of goods and service (inflation) and further warnings that it is going to get worse. We can certainly see and feel this upward trend in the cost of everything from gas for fueling our cars, to electricity for heating and cooling our homes, to food for filling our bellies, requiring more of our financial resources to live day to day.

But what about the effect of inflation on stock values? The following article written by Dimension Fund Advisors includes a summary of the annual performance of the S&P 500 and the annual rate of inflation for each of the last 30 years. As the article states, “A look at equity performance in the past three decades does not show any reliable connection between periods of high (or low) inflation and US stock returns.”

This is yet another reason why maintaining a diversified investment portfolio designed in coordination with your unique investment plan increases your likelihood of a successful investment experience during these periods of uncertainty. Please feel welcome to speak with your FirstWave Financial WealthCoach about this or any other matters you may wish to discuss.

June 9, 2021 – YOLO, Meme, and EMH: What’s your investment style?

Meme stocks – What are they? Are they for you?

AMC, GameStop, Reddit, Robinhood, Meme stocks. Even as long-term investors who deliberately ignore the latest investing fads, you cannot help but see these names in recent headlines around social media created stock volatility. Are these social media investors upsetting proven principles of investing or is their internet-based trading just a faster way to facilitate speculative gains and losses, like on-line gambling? The attached article by Dimensional Fund Advisors addresses this question and more. Please feel welcome to speak with your FirstWave Financial WealthCoach about this or any other matters you may wish to discuss.

March 18, 2021 – To Bit or Not to Bit: What Should Investors Make of Bitcoin Mania?

Bitcoins and other crypto currencies have certainly created quite a stir, and not just in the digital world of gaming and virtual reality. The article below by Dimension Fund Advisors explores the characteristics of these new currencies and the role they may play in a diversified investment portfolio. Please feel welcome to speak with your FirstWave Financial WealthCoach about this or any other matters you may wish to discuss.

January 6, 2021 – Market Review 2020: Looking Back on an Unprecedented Year

The year 2020 proved to be one of the most tumultuous in modern history, marked by a number of developments that were historically unprecedented. But the year also demonstrated the resilience of people, institutions, and financial markets.

July 13, 2020 – 10 ‘Hot’ Dividend Stocks Backfire on You And Warren Buffet

Think chasing big S&P 500 dividends is a savvy thing to do? 2020 served up yet another reminder that this is a costly and flawed strategy.

April 17, 2020 – History Shows That Stock Gains Can Add Up After Big Declines

Sudden market downturns can be unsettling. But historically, US equity returns following sharp downturns have, on average, been positive.

March 17, 2020 – An Update from Dimensional’s Co-CEOs on COVID-19 Response

Being prepared for a wide range of outcomes and adapting to new information is the Dimensional way.

March 5, 2020 – Tuning Out the Noise

For investors, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the relentless stream of news about markets. Being bombarded with data and headlines presented as affecting your financial well-being can evoke strong emotional responses from even the most experienced investors.

January 24, 2020 – How Markets Work and the FAANG Mentality

Is the market getting by with a little help from the FAANGs? And does their performance stand out historically? Investors may be surprised that it’s common for a subset of stocks to drive a sizable portion of market returns.

October 15, 2019 – Medicare open enrollment is underway

Here’s what’s new and what to watch out for.
It’s the time of year for people on Medicare to give their coverage a checkup. The program’s annual enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, which is when you can make changes to your coverage that will take effect Jan. 1.

June 19, 2019 – Federal Reserve expresses concern about U.S. economy and signals interest rate cuts are likely

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised concerns the economy is slowing and sent its strongest signal to date that it could act soon to cut interest rates, a move that would plunge the central bank into unusual territory.

March 14, 2019 – Trump Outlines A Significant Security Cut to His 2020 Budget.

This past Monday, March 11, President Trump unveiled his fiscal 2020 budget proposal for the federal government.

December 28, 2018 – Here’s the Prescription

As much as I value the unfettered access to information the internet provides, I recognize the potential harm that too much information can cause.

June 13, 2018 – Foreign currency? No thanks. Investors prefer their own currencies and the US dollar

Globalization and integrated financial markets allow companies and investors worldwide to work together more closely—but investors still strongly prefer to buy assets in their own currency or in the US dollar.

February 09, 2018 – The Importance of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Although uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is slightly more expensive than the minimum coverage required by Florida law, it is absolutely essential in a time of need.

July 24, 2017 – 5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare

President Donald Trump has vowed to “let Obamacare fail,” after legislative efforts to undo the Affordable Care Act have stalled.

April 20, 2017 – Number of People Collecting Unemployment Checks Hits 17-Year-Low, Jobless Claims Show

The number of out-of-work people collecting unemployment checks fell to a 17-year low in April, underscoring the strongest U.S. labor market in years.

January 15, 2017 – 10 Quick Facts About the Upcoming Tax Season That You Need to Know

Ready to file your tax return? Forbes provides 10 facts about tax season that you need to know.

December 6, 2016 – 9 Tech-Friendly Gifts for People Obsessed with Travel

While we can’t help you shop for everyone in your family, we can help you choose a gift for the travel-lovers on your list. Whether they travel for business or adventure, here are 9 tech gifts for the globetrotter in your life.

October 31, 2016 – Hudson’s Booksellers Announces the Best Books of 2016

Hudson Booksellers, a brand unit of travel retailer Hudson Group and one of the most prominent book retailers in the country, has announced its list of the Best Books published in 2016.

August, 2016 – History on the Run

When news breaks and markets move, content-starved media often invite talking heads to muse on the repercussions. Knowing the difference between this speculative opinion and actual facts can help investors stay disciplined during purported “crises.”

June, 2016 – 10 Reasons to be Cheerful

Do you ever listen to the news and find yourself thinking that the world has gone to the dogs? The roll call of depressing headlines seems endless. But look beyond what the media calls news, and there also are a lot of things going right.

January, 2016 – 2016: 10 Predictions to Count On

The New Year is a customary time to speculate. In a digital age, when past forecasts are available online, market and media professionals find it harder to hide their blushes when their financial predictions go awry. But there are ways around that.

November 13, 2015 – Sen. Warren blasts annuity sales incentives

Vacations at luxury resorts, golf outings, and other incentives have led to inappropriate sales of annuities, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D- Mass., claimed in a study released Tuesday.

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Industry News

AI – Artificial Intelligence vs Aggregate Intelligence

United Way celebrates $5.13 million in annual donations

FEBRUARY 17, 2023 – VOLATILITY: THE COST OF HIGHER RETURNs

July 7, 2022 – Chasing High Flying Stocks Risks Meme Reversion

Navigating Geopolitical Events

Best Time To Invest

October 11, 2021 – Will Inflation Hurt Stock Returns? Not Necessarily

June 9, 2021 – YOLO, Meme, and EMH: What’s your investment style?

March 18, 2021 – To Bit or Not to Bit: What Should Investors Make of Bitcoin Mania?

January 6, 2021 – Market Review 2020: Looking Back on an Unprecedented Year

July 13, 2020 – 10 ‘Hot’ Dividend Stocks Backfire on You And Warren Buffet

April 17, 2020 – History Shows That Stock Gains Can Add Up After Big Declines

March 17, 2020 – An Update from Dimensional’s Co-CEOs on COVID-19 Response

March 5, 2020 – Tuning Out the Noise

January 24, 2020 – How Markets Work and the FAANG Mentality

October 15, 2019 – Medicare open enrollment is underway

June 19, 2019 – Federal Reserve expresses concern about U.S. economy and signals interest rate cuts are likely

March 14, 2019 – Trump Outlines A Significant Security Cut to His 2020 Budget.

December 28, 2018 – Here’s the Prescription

June 13, 2018 – Foreign currency? No thanks. Investors prefer their own currencies and the US dollar

February 09, 2018 – The Importance of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

July 24, 2017 – 5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare

April 20, 2017 – Number of People Collecting Unemployment Checks Hits 17-Year-Low, Jobless Claims Show

January 15, 2017 – 10 Quick Facts About the Upcoming Tax Season That You Need to Know

December 6, 2016 – 9 Tech-Friendly Gifts for People Obsessed with Travel

October 31, 2016 – Hudson’s Booksellers Announces the Best Books of 2016

August, 2016 – History on the Run

June, 2016 – 10 Reasons to be Cheerful

January, 2016 – 2016: 10 Predictions to Count On

November 13, 2015 – Sen. Warren blasts annuity sales incentives

September 16, 2015 – Dimensional Fund Advisors posts 77th consecutive month of positive sales

August 26, 2015 – 5 Things Investors Shouldn’t Do Now

July 23, 2015 – Greece is the Word

Feb. 18, 2015 – Has The Trend Toward Later Retirements Played Out?

Feb. 17, 2015 – Retirement: Boomers Want To Keep Working – If They Can

Feb. 2015 – When Underperforming The S&P 500 Is A Good Thing

July 15, 2014 – Hey Graduates, Here Are 7 Keys to a Happy Life

July 15, 2014 – A Kinder, Gentler Reverse Mortgage

July 15, 2014 – How to Weigh Student-Aid Offers

April 2014 – Connecting the Dots

January 2014 – The Golden Ticket Trap

October 21, 2013 – What Retirees Should Do When the Kids Come Back

October 14, 2013 – Best Road-Trip Apps for Holiday Travels

October 10, 2013 – 10 Cures for the Chronic Overpacker

July 2013 – “Student Lenders Are Pressed to Ease Terms”

July 2013 – “Letters About 401(k) Plan Costs Stir Tempest”

July 2013 – “It’s Our Kids’ Money. But Is It Really?”

July 2013 – “The Intelligent Investor: Saving Investors From Themselves”

July 2013 – “A New Senior Moment”

April 2013 – “Get Off the Beaten Path for Vacation Deals”

April 2013 – “Tap Your School for Job-Hunt Help”

April 2013 – “In Applying to College, Is Cost a Factor?”

September 2012 – “How Not to Blow It With Financial Aid”

September 2012 – “The Best Gear for the School Year”

July 2012 – “Is Gold Worth Its Weight in a Portfolio?”

July 2012 – “In Picking Facebook Shares, Repeating the Mistakes of the Past”

June 2012 – “The Eurozone and Greece: A Client Update”

June 2012 – “The Death of Equities, Revisited”

February 2012 – “The Good Old Days?”

March 2010 – “Rebalancing Act”

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