Terrorizing Quarterbacks is Just Like Trading
I met a man who I will call John while out for dinner years ago. John asked me what I did for a living. My answer sparked him to tell me that his friend was retiring the following year and would have the majority of his life savings suddenly coming available. His friend, John said, […]
Read ArticleSummer’s Hot Issues
On May 21, 2015, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,130.82, an all-time closing high for this broad measure of 500 large U.S. companies. In the year since, it has failed to recapture that level. It’s not uncommon for the major indexes to go through periods where gains are elusive or we experience unwanted volatility. […]
Read ArticleHow to Lose at Investing: Follow Your Gut
Financial Planning magazine reported that its “perceived risk-tolerance level” barometer had dropped 7 points from January to 27.9 in February — the lowest level since its inception. This barometer seeks to measure clients’ (or self-directed investors’) appetite for risk. In looking at the readings over the last 12 months, it’s very easy to understand why […]
Read ArticleWhy Should I Care About Sectors?
The term “sectors” is often thrown around, but what exactly does it mean and why should you care? In short, the economy and financial markets can be broken down into segments called sectors, which are simply large groupings of industries in similar businesses. Each sector can be further broken down into industry groups. For example, […]
Read ArticleYour Feelings About the Market are Probably Wrong
According to Thomson Reuters Lipper, investors pulled over $60 billion from mutual funds in January, the worst month of outflows we’ve seen in years. Mutual fund outflows are one way to get an idea of what retail investors are doing. Whether they are self-directing or calling up their advisors and demanding their plan be thrown […]
Read ArticleAre You a Grocery Store Trader?
Have you ever gone into the grocery store on a whim when you had some extra time? No list in hand, just time to spend in the store. You wander aisle by aisle, picking up a few things that catch your eye. You grab a few staples. Maybe a few treats you haven’t had in […]
Read ArticleWorthPointe CIO Weighs in at Elite Industry Forum
On February 24th, Presidents, PhDs, CEOs, CIOs, and Executives from industry power-houses like BlackRock, JP Morgan, Cambridge, Vanguard, and Merrill Lynch packed into the Belo Mansion in Dallas, TX for the Annual Private Wealth Texas Forum hosted by the Markets Group. Reuters reported that over 250 leading family offices, RIAs, and Private Bank executives would […]
Read ArticleFee Transparency and How Advisor Awards Can Fool You
I recently saw a list of the Top 40 advisors under 40 years old published in the brokerage magazine On Wall Street. Three firms produced 34 of those included on the list: Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and UBS. Care to take a guess on what criteria they were ranked? On “production,” which is a friendlier […]
Read ArticleRate of Return – Not A Plan
Goals without a plan are really just hopes! Understanding what a plan is, and what a plan is not, can be quite the process. I’ll tackle one aspect of this today by sharing a phrase I typically hear when the topic of investing comes up in social gatherings. “With the amount of money I’ve saved, […]
Read ArticleWhat is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional?
What is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional? The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification is the only financial planning certification that requires financial planners to put the needs of their clients ahead of their own. Financial planners who earn the CFP® certification meet rigorous standards of professionalism and ethics, and are required to uphold the values […]
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