Market Commentary December 10, 2012 The Markets

Another week is history and were another week closer to the fiscal cliff. You cant turn on the TV or surf the internet without some reference to the fiscal cliff. But, consider this. Remember all the fuss about Y2K back in 1999? Everybody was worried about planes dropping from the sky at midnight, ATMs freezing up, and the power grid shutting down on January 1. Well, the clock struck midnight and, poof, like Cinderellas glass slippers, nothing changed. Perhaps it was all the preparation ahead of Y2K that ensured it would be a non-event. In fact, one could argue that all the upgrading of equipment and intense preparation that went into the buildup toward Y2K helped propel the economy and fan the tech bubble that culminated at the turn of the century. Then, as you may know, it was right after Y2K that the stock market went over its own cliff and fell into a bear market. Now, heres where it gets interesting. While the overall stock market has been weak during the 13 years since Y2K, corporate earnings continued to rise. As a result, the Shiller PE10 ratio, a measure of valuation of the overall stock market, has dropped from 44 at the end of 1999 to 22 at the end of September of this year. In other words, the overall stock market is a lot less expensive than it was 13 years ago. This could mean a couple things: 1. If we go over the fiscal cliff, the stock market may not fall as much as it did after Y2K because the overall market valuation level is much lower now. 2. Investor psychology and Federal Reserve policy are still wildcards. How investors and the Fed respond to whatever happens with the fiscal cliff could have a significant impact on the markets good or bad. No matter what happens with the cliff talks, were keenly focused on the situation and well make adjustments to your portfolio as appropriate. Data as of 12/7/12
Standard & Poor's 500 (Domestic Stocks) DJ Global ex US (Foreign Stocks) 10-year Treasury Note (Yield Only) Gold (per ounce) DJ-UBS Commodity Index DJ Equity All REIT TR Index

1-Week
0.1% 0.9 1.6 -1.4 -0.9 1.4

Y-T-D
12.8% 10.8 N/A 8.1 0.6 17.0

1-Year
12.5% 7.6 2.0 -2.0 -2.1 21.3

3-Year
8.7% 0.7 3.5 14.2 1.7 18.8

5-Year
-1.2% -6.2 4.1 16.5 -4.5 3.6

10-Year
4.8% 7.4 4.1 18.0 3.0 11.6

Notes: S&P 500, DJ Global ex US, 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 10year 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, 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.

THE OLD SAYING THERES SAFETY IN NUMBERS, may work in some settings, but not
necessarily in the financial markets. Doing what everybody else is doing in the markets might make you feel more comfortable, but its not a way to get ahead. Famed investor Howard Marks pointed this out in his recent book titled, The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor. Marks said, Unconventionality is required for superior investment results, especially in asset allocation. Further, he said, You cant do the same things others do and expect to outperform. Unconventionality shouldnt be a goal in itself, but rather a way of thinking. To frame this way of thinking, Marks developed the following matrix: Conventional Behavior
Favorable Outcomes Unfavorable Outcomes
Source: Howard Marks

Unconventional Behavior
Above-average results Below-average results

Average good results Average bad results

The matrix says conventional behavior will get you average results either good or bad. By contrast, its only through unconventional behavior that we can be in position to achieve above-average results. But, do you see the rub here? At times, unconventional behavior may lead to below-average results and, since youre not part of the safety in numbers crowd, you could stick out in an uncomfortable way. As it relates to managing investments, striving for a mix between conventional and unconventional behavior seems like a good strategy. You dont want to always go against the crowd because the crowd is often right. But, there are times when it makes sense to take a stand, perhaps a more conservative stand than the crowd, and be a little unconventional. If our portfolio is at times a bit unconventional, its because were trying to look out for your best interests.

Weekly Focus Think About It

If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isnt thinking. George S. Patton, U.S. military leader

Best regards,

Patty Loris, MBA, CFP LPL Financial Advisor

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* This newsletter was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. * 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. Precious metal investing is subject to substantial fluctuation and potential for loss. * 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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