With markets climbing and the Dow hitting a new high, why are investors feeling uneasy? There are plenty of reasons. Chief among them: the global economy is in the doldrums. But there’s more than one way to read the situation, and some analysts see a turning point ahead.

VOLATILE FIRST HALF CAPPED BY RATE DROP AND STOCK RALLY. While most diversified investors earned decent returns in the first half of the year, wild market swings along the way fed our collective uncertainty. What does volatility tell us about future returns? We’ll look at what’s been roiling the markets and a new DFA study, then review the numbers.

The recent death of Mohammad Ali made me think about what it means to live by one’s principles, and how that can change your life. Ali was no saint, to be sure. But he taught me one of my earliest lessons in standing up for what you believe in.

Diversified investors were rewarded in April as international markets rebounded and volatility decreased.

TUMULTUOUS TIMES LEAD TO RECORD ACTIVE FUND OUTFLOWS. No one was happy with Q1 market performance. But for investors who trusted their money to active management, the pain was considerably worse. Learn what happened, and why money is now pouring into passively invested strategies. Let's start with the numbers.

THE DISCOMFORT ZONE. Market turbulence, negative interest rates, and the specter of currency wars have unsettled investors. What does it all portend?

Reading the Tea Leaves: Janet Yellen cautiously raised rates, and Wall Street took it in stride. The markets are signaling that low rates could persist for years to come.

Anxiety. Uncertainty. Tension. Deadly terrorist attacks. And a dire situation in Syria with no end in sight. 2015 has been a volatile year and November was a particularly volatile month. Little surprise that the markets reflect our global unease, off 1% at the end of the month and with many segments in the red for the year as a whole.

THE REWARDS OF DOING NOTHING. The end of Q3 was a textbook example of why it pays to be a passive investor. Stocks swung wildly during the final week of August, only to be followed by a quick recovery in which the biggest losers bounced back fast. (Pity the poor investor who sold in fear early that week. But that wasn’t you.) October month to date, US markets have gained 3.8%, international developed markets 5.5%, and emerging markets 7.3%. Read on for our Q3 review, advice about what to do during market corrections, and news about the latest financial come-ons from Wall Street.   

AUGUST AGITATION. The dog days of summer brought wild swings in the stock market, testing the fortitude of seasoned investors trained to hold on through market routs. Was August a harbinger of things to come? If so, what should you do now? We’ve got insights and advice to share. Let’s begin with a review of August results.