Mistake #1: Diversifying by Hiring Multiple Financial Firms Many investors want their investments diversified. This is a good thing for those who want to reduce many of the risks associated with investing, but the mistaken perception of what diversification actually means causes investors to have some strange ideas.One of the things I’ve heard people […]
Read ArticleThe Basics of Property and Casualty Coverage
Christopher Van Slyke and Scott Obrien of WorthPointe interview Allstate’s Melissa Fleming about the basics of property and casualty coverage:
Read ArticleMarket Commentary May 2015
95 years young Sir John Templeton may not be a household name, but in the investment world, he is a legend. Born in 1912 in humble surroundings, he attended Yale University during the Great Depression and was named a Rhodes Scholar to Balliol College at Oxford. He began his career on Wall Street in 1937 […]
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A client recently told me about a call he received from the Internal Revenue Service that seemed suspicious. The caller left an urgent callback request, but he was not adept at representing himself as an IRS agent. Regardless, my client was concerned about the IRS having access to his fee-based investment account. Unfortunately, this […]
Read ArticleApril Market Commentary
Warren Buffett: Takeaways from a stellar 50-year track record Market Performance Index MTD % YTD % 3-year* % Dow Jones Industrial Average -1.97 -0.26 10.40 NASDAQ Composite -1.26 3.48 16.60 S&P 500 Index -1.74 0.44 13.66 Russell 2000 Index 1.57 3.99 14.70 MSCI World ex-USA** -2.09 3.17 5.29 MSCI Emerging Markets** -1.59 1.91 -2.19 Source: […]
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For some, the mind is a battlefield. For others, it’s a tranquil pond. The difference between those two states is a personal journey that involves both the mind and the heart. And, you are never completely in one state or the other; it takes continued effort and discipline over time to get the results you […]
Read ArticleWhy Some Uber Drivers Are Losing Money
COST DEPRECIATION, CARS, AND UBER As a Certified Financial Planner® professional, I’ve been talking with clients about cost depreciation for years. The concept can be a little difficult to grasp, but it’s perhaps most clear when discussing automobiles, new cars in particular. Surely you’ve heard that when you drive your new car off the lot, […]
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The National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) recently released a public opinion research report that found that an overwhelming majority of Americans – 86 percent – believe the nation faces a retirement crisis. Some of the findings are: Some 86% of respondents agree that the nation […]
Read ArticleWhy Tim Duncan Hired The Wrong Financial Planner
NBA star Tim Duncan became the latest professional athlete to file suit against his financial advisor. He alleges that Charlie Banks, who he’s been working with for 17 years, pushed him into investments despite conflicts of interest that ultimately resulted in substantial loss. “I invested in a series of opportunities presented by Charles Banks, […]
Read ArticleMarket Commentary March 2015
In the midst of 2008-09’s downward economic spiral, gloom, and talk the economy could enter a Great Depression, the S&P 500 Index ended March 9, 2009 at 676.53, according to data provided by the St. Louis Federal Reserve. Few predicted at the time that stocks had put in a bottom, and investors had just given […]
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