Barring a huge rally in the coming months, 2022 has been the most difficult investing year of my lifetime. This goes back to my first foray as a retail investor in 1987. Of course, in ‘87 I experienced the October market crash where the Dow fell 37% in one day. Stocks...
You see the ads all the time. People in well-tailored suits catering to other well-dressed successful people. They would have you believe that wealth management is just for the affluent. In fact, most private wealth managers only deal with accredited investors. These...
A financial advisor may seem like a luxury for many folks (though we would challenge you on that opinion). However, a trusted financial advisor, especially one who is a Certified Financial Planner like myself, is an essential partner a small business owner should not...
"I was hoping you'd get my money out of the market since a recession is coming," said an irritated client. So, what was I to do? Here are a few of my thoughts... Short-term Thinking is Very Problematic First, let's recognize what the statement above really means. It...
"Boy, I sure got rich buying that annuity!" "I can't wait until the new annuities come out!" Said no one ever. After all, annuities are sold. They're not something savvy investors seek out or talk about. For most of my career, I've hated annuities. My primary...
Summer is the time for picnics, outdoor fun, and high school reunions, but there’s also a lot of concern about what happened in the second quarter of 2022. Then there's this… "It’s great to see you Steve and oh, by the way, are my investments going to...
MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 529s For years I (Steve) have been searching for a tool to help clients manage their 401k and 403b accounts. Finally, that day has come! Through our partners at Ponterra, we can manage your 401k by accessing your retirement...
What does estate planning have to do with your financial advisor? Today I want to talk about why Estate Planning is on our services list. We're not attorneys, so what do we, as financial advisors, have to do with estate planning? Oftentimes, in addition to estate...
The first quarter of 2022 started out pretty poorly for most investors. The S&P 500 stock index declined 11% during the first 16 trading days of the year but recovered somewhat to finish down 5%. Of course, if you've been an investor with us for some time you...
Your earliest recollection of wealth management may be balancing your checkbook with Mom on Sunday nights. Or Dad explaining why that pesky overdraft charge showed up on your debit card statement. Life was simpler then. Now you've grown a career or business and have...