Granite Group Advisors was founded on two simple principles: ethics and integrity. Refusing to be dominated by conflicts of interest and hidden fee structures, the partners at Granite Group strive to have a deep understanding of their clients and earn their trust. They work only with investment firms that maintain a consistent investment discipline, offering lower volatility and using fundamental analysis to limit the downside during market turmoil. Lyle B. Himebaugh III, partner and co-founder, is a 27-year veteran of the private wealth management industry. Before joining Granite Group, Mr. Himebaugh was vice president of private client services at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), where he managed and originated customized investment strategies for clients. Richard C. Zipkis, partner and co-founder, has 27 years of private wealth management experience. Mr. Zipkis previously served as head of the managed equity and fixed income business of the private client services division at CSFB.
What do rising interest rates mean in the current financial climate of “easy money”?
In 2008 we entered into what is now called the Great Recession. Massive job loss, shrinking economies, collapsing markets and large defaults on bonds were its unfortunate results. Another result: The Federal Reserve lowered short-term interest rates to roughly zero percent. This was un- heard-of. Most adults had never seen such low rates. We would […]
Brexit: Was a fear of the future warranted?
When Brexit was first proposed, fear-mongers from the “stay” side tried to scare their “leave” opponents by warning that exiting the European Union would cause immense harm to the British economy. As happens with many big changes, a fear of the unknown had taken hold with those desiring to keep the status quo. However, the […]
Why were academics trumpeting the value of index funds in the late ’90s?
In 1999, the world of investing was a pretty happy place. We had just entered into the age of the web; stocks were reaching all-time highs; and all seemed well with the world. It was also at that time when we first heard the academic community shouting: “Index investing is the only way!” Indeed, at […]
Are pensions a crisis in the making?
Before the invention of the 401(k), most businesses in America gave out long-term retirement plans in the form of a pension. A pension is a combination of contributions from an employee and the employer. Employers who offer pensions invest employee contributions and guarantee payouts to retired workers to be used as a supplement to Social […]
