Buttfield and Associates

Welcome to Buttfield & Associates

As the old saying goes; “What a difference a year makes!” This time last year the Covid Pandemic was in full force, the whole world was essentially in lockdown, and the stock markets had made one of the steepest drops in history. Starting on February 12, 2020, which was the market high, as of March 11, 2020 the Dow Jones Index was down 20.3% - about one month. From February 12 to March 23, the Dow lost 37% of its value. By the end of last year, the market had rallied 70% from the March low and closed the year up +7.2%, and as of Friday, March 29th, was up +8.38%, year to date. There are several factors that have contributed to this.

The first is that after 4 years of total mayhem and incompetence, we now have sane leadership for our government. Donald Trump will already go down in history as the worst president ever, and my prediction is by a lot. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are off to a great start, primarily with respect to Covid Vaccinations and the American Recovery Act. And this is not about party; it is about experience and competence as well as focus. Thus far, many in the Republican Party seems to be focused on continuing to be the party of “no” and doing whatever they can to thwart people’s ability to vote instead of offering a plausible agenda. The historic American Recovery Act was passed without a single Republican vote, in the house or senate.

Despite this, overall, we also have a steadily improving economic situation. Jobs are coming back, not as fast as we may want, but they are coming back. We may be finally turning the corner with respect to controlling the spread of Covid 19. People are recovering their optimism. The fossil fuel industry is arguably in its death throes. Some of the most exciting areas of focus, in my opinion, are the strong push from the Biden Administration on climate change, which is by far our biggest global challenge we face, infrastructure repair and rebuilding, alternative energy, electric vehicles, energy conservation, technology, and other areas. And, we have a long way to go.

So; is there a way that you can benefit from these changes in our country and in the world?

Yes!

First, you need a plan.  Second, you need a way to have your wealth make a difference by acting as a lever towards the changes you want to see.  A Financial Plan first allows you to make sense of your finances while providing a blue print or road map towards your financial future.  It lays out the best course of action towards your financial objectives and then helps you to stay on that course.  Once you know where you are going and how to get there, the next step is to harness the engine that will get you there – your investments.

There are many quality investments available to choose from.  The right mix of asset classes, properly managed, will likely allow your investment dollars to reward you over time.  However, if you could invest in areas that reflect your values, and offer commensurate and perhaps superior returns to areas of investment that do not reflect your values, would you not prefer that?  Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) allows investors to earn competitive returns while making a positive impact at the same time.  Money is a very powerful lever, and SRI allows investors to use that lever to create the world we want.

At Buttfield and Associates, we offer two services.   First we write a Financial Plan for our clients.  This creates the path for success in all areas of finance and minimizes the potential for sabotage.  Then, we establish Socially Responsible Investment portfolios for clients that are professionally managed by a third party.  We empower and support our clients to first make sense of their financial affairs and then use their wealth to make a positive difference in the world.

Scott M. Buttfield, CFP®, AIF®, Member: NAPFA

Headquartered in Red Bank, NJ, Buttfield and Associates works primarily with clients in the tristate area but also with clients all around the United States.

 

*Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Mention of specific securities is not an offer of sale of that security. To determine the suitability of any investment for your portfolio please contact a professional investment advisor.