Posts by Thad Gilliam, CFA, CFP®
20 Second Advisor: Investor vs Speculator?
I’m a firm believer that investments should have expected future cash flow. True investors should “expect” to be compensated for delaying gratification and taking risk (ie uncertainty). If an “investment” doesn’t have future expected cash flow, it is not an investment. Rather, it is a speculative guess. These speculative guesses are based purely on the…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Are negative years normal?
This past quarter has been a tough time to be in an investor. In the first quarter of 2022, all major asset classes had negative returns. See here for a recap of Q1 2022 returns. However, during the last 13 years (2009-2021), US stock returns have been pretty good – the S&P 500 had positive…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Then & Now – Returns During WWII
The events in Ukraine over the last few weeks have left many of us speechless. We haven’t seen a land invasion of this kind in Europe since WWII. Many clients and investors are grappling with how to handle their investments given the conflict; many worry of the effects if the conflict broadens. Here are some…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Keeping Up With The Steinbergs
Last week, our family took a trip for our kids’ winter break from school. On the long drive, I had the chance to listen to a podcast, The Just Enough Family. It details the rise and fall of Saul Steinberg, an American businessman that rose to great wealth by the age of 30 only to…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Facebook & Value/Growth Valuations
Facebook’s stock declined by more than 20% in trading on Thursday this week. A stock’s price can seem random at times, but (hopefully) it aligns with the underlying financials over time. Unfortunately, a lot of investors don’t actually understand what they’re buying when they purchase stock. By this I mean a lot of people buy…
Read More20 Second Advisor: When to expect your tax documents for 2021
It’s that time of year again! You’ll be getting tax forms in the coming weeks and many folks want to get a jump on their tax return. Here is an overview of when to expect tax forms from TD Ameritrade: 1099R – This tax form reports money taken out of a qualified retirement plan (like…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Bonds that pay 7%?!
We’ve been in a low rate environment for a while. It’s tough to earn a real (after inflation) return on your bonds right now. One option that investors may consider is buying I Bonds from the US government – currently they’re paying 7.12%. For I bonds, interest payments are derived from a “fixed” interest rate…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Holiday Volatility In Perspective
In the past several weeks, markets have cooled off just a bit from the nearly non-stop bull market over the last 18 months. Here are a few keys things to remember about investing during these periods (and a short video): It is normal for markets to incorporate “new” information into stock prices. The recent Omicron…
Read More20 Second Advisor: How a $12 hamburger costs you $20.34
It’s not totally uncommon to talk to prospects or clients that make several hundred thousand dollars a year, and they don’t know where all their money goes. Ex: We make $300,000 per year, but don’t really have much savings to show for it. Here’s why I think this happens: The more someone makes, the more…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Long Term View of US Inflation
The inflation data for September 2021 was released last week. The news? Well, prices continue to rise. September’s observed price increase was 5.4% (from a year earlier). Debate continues as to whether inflation will be “transitory” or if it will be “here to stay” for awhile. You may wonder, “what is the historical relationship among…
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