Article submitted by Jim Allen, Sales and Leasing Agent for Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate

Written by Daisy Maxey | December 11, 2016

The seven-year U.S. bull market has new life going into the new year, thanks to a slow-moving Federal Reserve and a surprising election sweep by Republicans, which is raising hopes for regulatory-policy easing and fiscal stimulus.

While the Fed is widely expected to raise rates this week and in 2017, it’s seen moving at a gradual pace, as other central banks around the world continue easing. Investors are cautiously optimistic, with many expecting modest U.S. and global economic growth.

Tempering their enthusiasm are expectations for increased stock-market volatility, signs of rising inflation and new political uncertainties amid a rise of populism around the world.

Three financial advisers sat down with The Wall Street Journal to discuss how investors can prepare for the year ahead. The panelists were Erin Botsford, founder and chief executive officer of Botsford Financial Group in Dallas; Joshua Gross, president of Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC in Conshohocken, Pa.; and Lawrence Hood, president and chief executive officer at Pacific Portfolio Consulting in Seattle.

Here are edited excerpts of that conversation:

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Jim Allen earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas and his masters from Louisiana State University.  In addition to his multiple degrees he has taken numerous coursework in banking, marketing, accounting, and business law.  As a complement to his sales experience, Jim also has 30 years experience in commercial real estate financing.

Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate is a member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce (BRAC); the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce; the Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau; the Louisiana Commercial Data Base (LACDB); and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Several agents, on an individual basis, are members of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® (SIOR), the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute (CCIM); the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR); and the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS® Commercial Investment Division (CID).