November was a rocky month for stocks and bonds, but it ultimately ended on a positive note. Our portfolios did well compared to the Vanguard STAR fund, which has recently had more downside than our portfolios and potentially less upside as investors shift their portfolio strategies.

In early October unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level since 1969. This is sending interest rates back up to 'normal' levels. The difference this time is the stock market is now sinking along with bonds

We're still underperforming for the year, with too much interest rate exposure and too little stock exposure, but for the month we were basically in line with the benchmark Vanguard total portfolio fund while still taking less risk in both our portfolios.

The market was rolling along just fine in May with the volatility from earlier in the year seemingly easing and good economic data slowly pushing up stocks and interest rates (and inflation). Then, at the end of the month, Italy returned as a potentially destabilizing force to foreign investing, sending Italian stocks (which we own directly through iShares MSCI Italy Capped (EWI)) down sharply and taking the euro and most other foreign markets down with it.