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Sterling Financial Group. Inc. is an investment advisory firm that oversees clients’ assets and provide a range of comprehensive wealth management services. Our team has the skill and expertise to offer exceptional economic advice and market analysis, as well as a strong network of professionals to refer to for legal and tax advice, enhancing our ability to successfully assist clients in achieving their financial goals. Michael Hatch, Principal of Sterling Financial Group, Inc., has been helping clients in formulating and implementing complex wealth management strategies and managing their assets for over twenty-five years. Michael Hatch began his career as a financial advisor in 1989 and has operated predecessor firms as a principal since that time.

Friday, April 1, 2022

Inflation and the CPIInflation seems to be in the news daily and on everyone’s mind–I just filled up my completely empty gas tank at a cost of $133.40! – inflation is on my mind as well. Below are some facts as to...

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Aging is a natural progression and is something we all must face if given enough time on this earth. As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail”. In the golden years of any household’s lifecycle, the...

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

During the Covid lockdown, media often cited the growing number of remote workers dialing in from a picturesque lake or mountain house. The rosy picture these articles painted forced many Americans to ponder if purchasing a second home...

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Our best to you for 2022; we hope the year has started off well for all of you and your families. We are now almost two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, and we know many have been impacted by this latest Omicron variant. Fortunately,...

Monday, October 11, 2021

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are in the news everywhere, and it's not surprising that there's often partial or misinformation (and apprehension) about such a powerful new technology. Bitcoin is now a $2 trillion “asset...

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Monday, October 11, 2021

At the surface, this seems like a reasonable question, given that ten-year US Treasury bonds are currently yielding a paltry 1.5%.  At that level, bond yields are certainly not keeping up with inflation, especially this year...

Monday, October 11, 2021

You’ve made it! Congratulations on a long and successful career. Goodbye stressors, hello autopilot… right? Not so fast. Retirement can be an overwhelming and daunting aspect in one’s life and is not to be taken...

Monday, October 11, 2021

Americans are typically an optimistic lot, yet ‘we’ suddenly turned gloomy in August as demonstrated by the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey, dropping more than 13% in August to the low for this decade....

Friday, July 9, 2021

Often, intelligence and aptitude are attributed to individuals at an early age.  However, this can establish what Stanford professor Carol Dweck titles as “fixed mindsets” – that is, where an individual defines...

Friday, July 9, 2021

What Is Volatility?Volatility is defined as the range of possible returns for a given security or market index over a given period; this range can include upward or downward movements.  The uncertainty of future events (i.e....

Friday, July 9, 2021

Financial Planning Timeline: 50’s to Early 60’s Pre-Retirement CheckupIn this installment of Milestones in Focus, we will explore financial planning topics that should be top of mind when a household is in their 50’s...

Friday, July 9, 2021

Many clients over the years have inquired about investment returns and wonder what should a reasonable expectation be for long-term returns?  As with many things in finance, the answer isn’t simple or straight forward: it...

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Perhaps no founder in recent times has been more brazen and industry changing than Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla. His statements move industries; their cars have captured the imagination of millions; yet the company has yet to...

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Dear Clients & Friends,We hope you are well and are starting to make plans to move forward with your lives in a safe yet productive and enjoyable manner. We have much to be thankful for, as our office staff and their families here...

Monday, February 1, 2021

During the Covid lockdown, media often cited the growing number of remote workers dialing in from a picturesque lake or mountain house. The rosy picture these articles painted forced many Americans to ponder if purchasing a second home...

Monday, February 1, 2021

Milestones in FocusBY KODY BROWN, CFP®Financial Planning Timeline:  The Golden YearsAging is a natural progression and is something we all must face if given enough time on this earth. As the saying goes, “failing to...

Friday, January 8, 2021

In mid-December, the first vaccinations for COVID-19 were provided for front line healthcare workers. If successful, this vaccination would represent a huge leap forward in disease analysis, vaccination development and distribution, as...

Friday, January 8, 2021

With mortgage rates at historic lows, many clients are wondering if they should refinance their current loan. While moving to a lower rate may seem like a “no brainer” it is not always the case. Below is a summary of a...

Friday, January 8, 2021

In November California passed Proposition 19, a constitutional amendment that implements the most significant changes to property tax transfer rules in over 20 years. Prop 19 liberalizes rules that allow property owners over age 55 to...

Friday, January 8, 2021

Dear Clients and Friends: Welcome to 2021, we hope you have a safe and fulfilling new year. Our holidays were spent with close family or a few friends, enjoying our covered patio here in Pasadena. Many publications make...

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Leonardo Da Vinci, the quintessential “Renaissance man”, is renowned for paintings such as The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. He stood alone in his insatiable pursuit of the arts, science, nature, and technology. In this...

Thursday, October 1, 2020

The Federal Reserve is tasked with a dual mandate to provide stability of prices (i.e. control inflation), and to promote full employment. Thus, the government tracks many statistics related to inflation and employment figures to give...

Thursday, October 1, 2020

In a year when statistics are flying around like an infielder’s drill in baseball, we thought it prudent to touch on the confusion often present in common statistics. While often mistakenly attributed to Mark Twain, one can find...

Thursday, October 1, 2020

As a firm, we would like to introduce a new section to our newsletter that will cover financial planning milestones throughout each phase of an individual’s life. Topics include savings vehicles, contribution and distribution...

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

The phrase "irrational exuberance" was used by Alan Greenspan in late 1996 during the dot-com boom of the 1990s; it was interpreted as a warn­ing that the stock market might be overvalued given an apparent discon­nect between...

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Investing Fundamentals Summer greetings and our best wishes that you and your family are safe and healthy, and getting outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather. With all of the news and facts reported, we know that at times the information...

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on March 27th of this year, initiated a $2 trillion economic relief package for the American worker and business alike. According to the U.S. Department of the...

Monday, March 30, 2020

Dear Clients and Friends: We know that you are dealing with many challenges at this time but please know that we are here to support you in any way that we can. With the recent volatility in the markets, we did hear from several...

Thursday, January 2, 2020

In the ten-year period ending 12/31/18, publicly held large cap stocks outperformed small cap stocks, rising an average of 13.3% versus 12.0% (FTSE Russell, 2019). Large cap stocks are generally defined as companies with a value...

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Many of our clients have expressed that they no longer want to receive paper delivery of financial statements and notices of activity in the mail. LPL and Charles Schwab provide several options to minimize the printed materials...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Happy fall! For those of us that enjoy college football, this is one of our favorite times of the year, while I know others are wanting summer to stick around longer. Now that the third quarter of 2019 is over, I thought I would recap...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

In 2017, data security took center stage when Equifax fell victim to one of the largest data breaches of all time. Nearly one hundred and fifty million people had their personally identifiable information stolen, or fifty five percent...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Late in the economic cycle, income-generating investments are viewed as an attractive buffer against stock market volatility. Real estate can be an income- generating option that has the potential to be a strong investment when held...

Friday, August 2, 2019

Many of you have asked how our team has changed in our transition. The core group of our service team, including Lisa Cortes, Danielle Smith, and Kody Brown, is looking forward to speaking with you and assisting in any way they can....

Friday, August 2, 2019

Howard Marks is a legendary investor and founder of Oaktree Capital Management, currently managing in excess of $120 Billion; earlier this year Oaktree agreed to be acquired by Brookfield Asset Management. Howard Marks has long been...

Friday, August 2, 2019

Our team recently had the opportunity to tour the Googleplex and spend an evening with professors from CalTech. What is the Googleplex you ask? It is the corporate headquarters of Google (parent company, Alphabet, Inc.) which occupies...

Friday, August 2, 2019

Why Dividends Make Sense Now By Berkeley Harrison, CFA Time for a different allocation? Volatility has returned to the equity markets, as evidenced by an increase in the VIX (a popular measure of the U.S. stock market’s expected...

Friday, August 2, 2019

Welcome to this first edition of Sterling Financial Report, we hope you find this information useful and that we continue to be a resource for you and your family. With the first half of 2019 complete, financial markets have rebounded...