Solis Wealth Management Report – December 9, 2013

The Markets
If every piece of positive news was a petal, then you might say the American economy was in bloom last week. Moving into the holiday season, consumer confidence was at a five-month high.
Early in the week, manufacturing showed improvement. On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department unfurled the news the American economy grew faster than expected during the third quarter of 2013. The next day, it was reported the unemployment rate was at the lowest level since 2008. Hourly earnings increased, as did the length of the work week. Participation in the work force improved slightly, although it remains at historical lows.
There are sound reasons to expect America’s resurgence will continue into 2014, according toThe Economist. They reported America’s progress was due, in part, to:
·         Policymakers in the U.S. providing direct government support for failing companies and creating liquid capital markets that helped companies recover after the financial crisis.
·         Companies benefitting from an increase in domestic energy production. Often the fuel comes from unconventional sources.
·         American businesses leading the way in social media. They are expected to blaze the trail when finding ways to profit from Big Data and developing a sharing economy.
There was good news in other parts of the world, too. A global trade agreement – the first major deal in 20 years – was reached that could simplify customs procedures and speed up the flow of goods across the world. CNN Money hailed it as the most significant multilateral trade pact since the World Trade Organization was founded. The agreement has the potential to reduce trade costs by as much as 15 percent, saving developing nations about $445 billion each year, and boost the global economy.
Despite the good economic news, U.S. stock markets slumped through Thursday of last week largely because of investors’ concerns that positive economic news would encourage the Federal Reserve to end quantitative easing sooner rather than later. Those concerns seemed to dissipate with the release of positive employment numbers on Friday and markets surged higher.

Notes: S&P 500, Gold, DJ-UBS Commodity Index returns exclude reinvested dividends (gold does not pay a dividend) and the three-, five-, and 10-year returns are annualized; the DJ Equity All REIT TR Index does include reinvested dividends and the three-, five-, and 10-year returns are annualized; and the 10-year Treasury Note is simply the yield at the close of the day on each of the historical time periods.
Sources: Yahoo! Finance, Barron’s, djindexes.com, London Bullion Market Association.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. N/A means not applicable.
LET’S TAKE A STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE… In a recent issue, The Economist pointed out during March 2009 the prospects for American companies were pretty sketchy:
“…The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed below 6,627, a 53% decline from its all-time high less than two years earlier. The number of American firms in the global top ten by market capitalization was on its way down from six to three, and America’s share of the top 50 companies from 50% to 40%. Once regarded even in Communist China as the business model for the world, corporate America had lost its crown.”
Oh, the difference just a few years can make! According to an November 18, 2013 article onEconomist.com, If we look ahead to 2014, American firms are expected to comprise the majority of the global top ten (when measured by market value) and make up almost two-thirds of the top 50 companies in the world. It’s not all that surprising when you consider the fact, as a headline in Forbes announced, corporate profits are at an all-time record peak making up almost 70 percent of U.S. gross domestic product.
That may have something to do with the way Americans are spending their money. Citing an expert from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barron’s reported:
“U.S. import growth has shrunk from 11% to less than 1% between 2010 and 2013, while job growth has repaired from a negative 1.7% to 1.6%… Domestically produced energy now accounts for 87% of what we consume, up from 70% five years ago, and the share of vehicles sold here that are manufactured stateside has risen from 63% to 73%… We’re also spending more on domestic goods and services… Nearly 40,000 Americans turn 65 every week, and aging boomers tend to steer more of their disposable income toward services like medical care, accommodation, and recreation that are typically made in America .”
Perhaps what Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and political thinker, said about America still holds true, “The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“When even one American who has done nothing wrong is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril.”

–Harry S. Truman, American President

What’s happening at Solis Wealth Management?
Please enjoy this week’s commentary from ~ Kris Placencia, Director of Client Relations
As my daughter Hannah works diligently in the week ahead to complete her 1st semester finals at WestmontCollege, I anxiously look forward to having her home for 3 weeks!   As a pre-med major, her classes this semester included Biology, Organic Chemistry and Physics….plus labs for all of them!  I don’t know how she has done it but one thing I do know, she will likely sleep through half of her break.  And I am happy to let her!
As I have shared with you in the past, Hannah chose to go into medicine because when she was a baby, she had a growth on her lip the size of a cherry (called a hemangioma).  A doctor in Los Angeles removed the growth and today you can’t even tell there was anything there. He has done some truly amazing work for many children and the small growth he took care of on Hannah’s lip was nothing compared to some of the other surgeries he has performed.  In his spare time, he travels to third-world countries and performs these types of surgeries for underprivileged kids.  A couples years ago, Hannah realized (and shared with me with tears in her eyes) that she wanted to do something that would “help people”; that she wanted to do the same thing this doctor had done for her and travel to third world countries and help others.
Recently we got two pieces of very exciting news!  After doing some research and due diligence, Hannah found that her doctor is now at Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles and she will be able to shadow him this summer!  I have a friend who lives just down the street so Hannah will be able to stay with her (saving some money on living expenses and giving mom peace of mind that she will be safe and sound!)
Secondly, Hannah just received notification that she was selected to be a part of a team that will travel to Bolivia in June through an organization called Emmaus Road .  Their tagline is “Dedicated to developing a Christ-centered heart for missional living.”  For a decade, Emmaus Road through WestmontCollege, has sent out student teams to partner with full-time service and ministry partners around the world.  These summer service projects have resulted in challenging students to intersect gifting, passions, and study with a life of thoughtful service and ministry both at home and abroad.  In the Summer of 2013, 71 students on 14 teams were sent to 15 different countries.  As a part of the Bolivia team, Hannah will be taking part in working in hospitals and getting first-hand experience in what she believes is her calling and mission in life.  Between now and then, she will be working hard to raise the funds needed for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!  I am so proud of her!
I am excited about celebrating the birth of Jesus and look forward to many fun and festive days ahead with family gatherings, Christmas parties and yes…I even enjoy (some) shopping.  If you are in the area this coming weekend (Saturday the 14th at 7:00 pm and Sunday the 15th at 9:00 am and 11:00 am), I will be performing in a Christmas drama called “A Fairy Tale Christmas Carol”.  It is the story of Scrooge with a slightly different twist.  The performances will be held in the gym at DesertChristian Academy, located at 40-700 Yucca Lane in Bermuda Dunes.  It is sure to be a fun and spirit-lifting evening!
I hope that you will have a wonderful Christmas and as we look ahead to the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks in preparation for this wonderful holiday, you will take some time to stop and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and enjoy that which is most valuable….the people in your life. ~Kris
Best regards,
Greg R. Solis, AIF®
President

The Wealth Advisors of Solis Wealth Management are also Registered Representatives with and securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC

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* This newsletter was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. Peak Advisor Alliance is not affiliated with the named broker/dealer.
* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.
* The DJ Global ex US is an unmanaged group of non-U.S. securities designed to reflect the performance of the global equity securities that have readily available prices.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the London afternoon gold price fix as reported by the London Bullion Market Association.
* The DJ Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The DJ Equity All REIT TR Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
* Past performance does not guarantee future results.
* You cannot invest directly in an index.
* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
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Sources:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-06/michigan-sentiment-index-increased-to-82-5-in-december-from-75-1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/07/business/economy/us-economy-adds-203000-jobs-as-unemployment-falls-to-5-year-low.html?src=recg
http://www.economist.com/news/21589101-corporate-america-surges-ahead-top-world-again
http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/07/news/economy/trade-deal-bali/
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/12/05/stock-market-live-blog-good-news-is-bad-news-threatens-to-extend-losing-streak/
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/12/06/jobs-report-live-blog-stocks-gold-bonds-keyed-to-biggest-report-of-week/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2013/11/30/there-are-far-fewer-bears-on-the-stock-market-today-than-at-the-peaks-in-2000-or-2007/
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111903302604579234212420953176.html?mod=BOL_hp_we_columns (or go tohttp://peakclassic.peakadvisoralliance.com/app/webroot/custom/editor/12-09-13_Barrons_A_Telling_Topography.pdf)
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alexisdeto389355.html
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/harry_s_truman.html