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Local financial experts optimistic on market

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Financial planners said they aren't seeing any panic despite the stock markets drop last week.
 
It's on investors' minds and a topic among financial planners who met in Southpark to predict what 2014 will bring.
 
Experts have been predicting a stock market correction -- that's a dive of 10 percent or more, or about 1,600 points in today's market.
 
But last week's Dow Jones' losses were just over 3 percent, or 580 points.
 
"That's not a bad place to be -- 0.3 percent off all-time highs," said financial planner Kelly Graves.
 
Graves isn't seeing any panic but he said that's because he deals with long-term investors where the markets have paid handsomely over years and decades.
But, there have been set backs.
 
"We have been on a tear for two years now it's taking a pause, which is very natural," he said.
 
Many experts are bullish on America this year with one saying 2014 may be the year the economy takes off and the stock market has just modest gains.
 
Another expert said that because of rising labor costs in China, and cheaper power like natural gas and oil in America, we're about to see a manufacturing boom.

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