It’s that time of year when we clean out the junk in our house, take stock of where we are, and maybe make a few goals and plans for the coming year! I love to plan, but I’ve learned that nothing happens by accident. The best way to move incrementally toward the life you envision…
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Some income-oriented investors are attracted to dividends because they view these stocks as less risky, and perhaps more stable. While dividends are one way to generate income, they are not the only way to produce cash, and investors should be aware of the potential tradeoffs that accompany a focus on dividends. For example, prioritizing dividends…
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Most people get health insurance through their employer. They are given a few options, and some of the costs are typically paid for by their employer. Most people don’t think too much about it. This all changes as people approach retirement or start thinking about starting a business! Suddenly, health insurance becomes this massive beast…
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I just finished reading a fascinating excerpt from the book “The Psychology of Money.” In the article, the author, Morgan Housel, lays out the argument that the skills needed to gain vast sums of money are very different than the skills needed to retain and protect wealth. Specifically, Housel says: Capitalism is hard. But part…
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Many investors are concerned with the effect of election results. Do past results suggest a useful strategy to deal with election-year uncertainty? The answer is yes. For the 96-year period ending in 2021, the S&P 500 Index (with dividends reinvested) posted an average return of 12.33% for all calendar years and results were negative in…
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Do you have kids in high school, college or grad school? Have you filled out the FAFSA yet? FAFSA is the government’s “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” (fafsa.gov). It is a yearly application, and should be first filled out starting October 1 of their Senior year in high school, using parent and child assets…
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On Thursday November 10, stocks mounted their biggest one-day rally since 2020. The S&P jumped 5.54% in a single day! The Nasdaq surged 7.35%! The impact of being out of the market for a short time can be profound, as shown by this hypothetical investment in the stocks that make up the Russell 3000 Index,…
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Estate planning is not the most exciting financial topic to tackle, but it’s really important! Here’s why: Here are a few of the major decisions you’ll need to think through (we recommend that you use an estate attorney): So, is your estate plan up to date? Let us know if you need help!
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I’ve often written about the dangers of timing the market. See this article for how I liken it to catching a falling knife. In that post, I describe how investors who get out (often near the bottom) may miss out on the substantial returns that have historically occurred after a market bottom. It’s worth asking:…
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