2017 was a year that defied most expectations. Synchronistic global growth led to a surge in corporate profits, which in turn pushed worldwide stocks higher. The FTSE All-World index shot up nearly 22 percent, its biggest rise since 2009. US markets were along for the ride: The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 25.1 percent, the broad S&P 500 index was up 19.4 percent and the NASDAQ Composite jumped 28.2 percent. The Russell 2000 index of small companies, which was the big winner in 2016, put in a more than respectable 13.1 percent return.
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A colleague of mine recently asked me how he might be able to finally stick to a budget. For years, he had tried to create and adhere to a specific annual spending plan, only to blow a hole through it at some point during the year. “What’s wrong with me? I know that I should do it, but there’s always something that comes up!”
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