A common question clients ask is something along the lines of “are my investments diversified?” What follows will help you determine whether that’s important for your financial life. In our world, diversification means investing in multiple areas rather than...
As markets moved lower in September 2021, we decided to write a piece about FEAR – because if there’s one comment we often hear, it’s that people are afraid of losing money in markets – ESPECIALLY when prices are falling. And the lower stock prices go, the more people...
I started this first Hall of Fear entry very differently until this gem of a tweet from Ben Carlson hit my timeline. What Ben delivers here via humor, education, and sprinkled with a little accountability in four words is just….too good. (If you’re not familiar with...
Part 1: Historical Perspective Many clients are asking about the next market downturn. We consider it one of our primary responsibilities to evaluate “what ifs” for the companies in our portfolios. We make it our job to prepare ahead and make informed decisions about...
On the right, you can see the definition of dividend, provided by Google. We’re happy that the definition mentions profits because, over time, without profits, dividends cannot exist. But we also understand that this definition might not be that helpful. And, we want...
In this follow-up piece, we’re reviewing a real-life example of an “income” or “dividend” portfolio and its results, as compared to a portfolio built for total-return. If you missed that piece, it’s here. Recall that, while one could say the income portfolio provided...
As people consider retirement, here’s a question we get A LOT (the question has many variations): Question: I need income during retirement, so does that mean you will emphasize dividend-paying stocks? Our answer often surprises people: NO. We don’t find that to be...
We often get the question “As I get older, my portfolio needs to become more conservative, right?” Our answer is always, “It depends on what you’re trying to do.” Becoming overly conservative can be a huge mistake. We’ll get to that in a second. However, the reason...
Grandma and the EE Savings Bond Gift My family has an unusual tradition–my grandfather self-built two houses–one completed in 1957 and another in 1996. Yes, he built them, hammer-swinging and all, with family help. My father has also done the same–first completing...
We have prepared 12 Essential Questions to ask your financial advisor. Choosing the right financial advisor is a big decision—and the questions you ask can make all the difference. This guide outlines 12 essential questions to help you find an advisor who aligns with...
