The recent increased volatility and sharp declines in the equity markets may be causing you some anxiety and as a result you may have feelings of uncertainty about your investments. I am writing to you today in the hope that I can help satisfy some of your concerns.

You might be wondering what has suddenly changed to cause this increased volatility in the markets and pushed the broad indexes sharply lower. While the precise driving factors will probably never be known for certain, it is very likely that a combination of factors are behind the most recent movements. These factors have been present and recognized by investors for some time, but as is true of many things in life, they weren't really focused on, until they are suddenly deemed important.

Everyone in the world, regardless of their current net worth, has some perspective on retirement. The breadth of their perspectives range from working by choice, satisfying their compulsive travel habits, or simply enjoying a quiet life at home. The ebb and flow of life, political climates, and economic events often dictate varied shifts in when we believe we are capable of retiring, or altogether even begin to take the steps to plan for it. Yet should these events really dictate so much of the steps we do or do not take in planning for our retirement?

As a value investor, one of the metrics I often look at when analyzing a particular company is whether the company management is acting in a “shareholder friendly” manner. Part of that analysis involves looking to see if they have bought back stock over the years – and what valuation level they paid.