Outlook 2014: The Investor's Almanac

A farming almanac is an annual publication containing a guide for the coming year and a forecast of the times and statistics of events and phenomena important to growing. Farmers' almanacs have been a source of wisdom, rooted in the core values of independence and simple living, for American growers for over 200 years. In LPL Financial Research's Outlook 2014: The Investor's Almanac, we seek to provide a trusted guide to the coming year filled with a wealth of wisdom for investors.

In 2014, portfolios are likely to enjoy more independence from policymakers than in 2013, when the markets and media seemed to obsess over policymakers’ actions both here and abroad. This could be seen throughout 2013, during the government shutdown and debt ceiling debacle, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) mixed messages on tapering its aggressive bond-buying program, the bank bailout and elections in Europe, and the unprecedented government stimulus referred to as “Abenomics” in Japan, among many other examples.