Each year brings a fresh batch of seasonal market stories, Santa Claus rallies, “Sell in May & go away,” the January effect, even Super Bowl predictions. They all promise hidden rhythms in returns. But over time, the data has stripped these patterns of their power. At Westmount, we remind investors that lasting results come from fundamentals, discipline, and a long-term view, not from chasing calendar quirks. As the year winds down, stay focused on what matters, a resilient plan grounded in prediction.

Risk in investing isn’t one thing, it’s perspective. For Portfolio Managers, it’s numbers: volatility, drawdowns, and betas. For clients, it’s emotion: the fear of plans derailing or goals slipping away. This gap between data and feeling is where true wealth planning lives. At Westmount Wealth, risk is reframed not as something to avoid, but to understand and design around - through diversified behaviors, intentional cash flow structures, emotional guidance, and goal-based framing.

Two retirees with identical portfolios can end with vastly different wealth depending on whether markets fall or rise early in retirement. This sequence risk means portfolio withdrawals lock in losses, creating lasting gaps. Curious how preparation can narrow outcomes?

Can investors reliably identify skilled managers in real time? Evidence suggests not. Studies by Fama and French show that only a few outperform beyond luck, and even then persistence is elusive. SPIVA data confirms most managers lag benchmarks over time. The lesson is clear: focus on controllable factors instead.

Investing is often guided by assumptions that don’t hold up under evidence. Economic growth doesn’t guarantee market strength, past performance rarely predicts future returns, and buying at market highs is not as risky as many believe. Data highlights the value of patience and discipline. Continue reading to explore these investing realities.