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Current Market Commentary


August was a difficult month for the U.S. equity market. The S&P 500 Index lost 2.90% while the Russell 2000 Index, tracking U.S. small-cap stocks, fell 3.18%. Overseas, equity markets fared slightly better. The MSCI World ex U.S. Index dropped 1.29%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index logged its fifth monthly decline in 2013 with a 1.72% loss.

Fixed-income markets followed suit with investment-grade bonds, as represented by the Barclay's U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, slipping 0.51%. Meanwhile, the Barclay's U.S. Corporate High-Yield Bond Index, a measure of the non-investment grade bond market, lost 0.61% in August.

The U.S. economy continued to show sputtering improvement in August, but concerns about the possibility of a U.S.-led military strike weighed on global stock markets and boosted the price of oil. Emerging-markets equities also continued to reflect investor unease surrounding both inflation and local loan markets. In fixed income, yields rose as redemptions continued due to speculation that the Federal Reserve would soon begin to unwind its bond-buying program.


White House Financial & Settlement Consulting helps busy professionals and entrepreneurs live easier and less stressful lives through the proper management of their financial resources.  We do this by acting as our clients’ trusted advisor and providing a personal touch customized to the client’s needs!  Please visit our web site at www.whitehousellc.com  or contact us directly for more information!


Please be aware that we do not provide tax or legal advice, and that the information set forth herein was obtained from sources which we believe reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy.  Neither the information nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation by us of the purchase or sale of any securities or commodities.  In addition, past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Diversification does not guarantee against loss; it is a method used to help manage risk.

*It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


White House Financial & Settlement Consulting, LLC

Forging Financial Fitness

114 South Main Street • Suite 300 • Chelsea, Michigan 48118 • Phone: (734) 433-1670 • Fax: (734) 433-1671

www.whitehousellc.com

Securities offered through Sigma Financial Corporation. Member FINRA/SIPC

Fee-based investment advisory services offered through Sigma Planning Corporation, a registered investment advisor

White House Financial & Settlement Consulting, LLC is independent of  Sigma Financial Corp. and Sigma Planning Corp

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