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07/13/2011 by

Whenever I review a prospective client’s investment portfolio, I rarely see one that is truly globally diversified. The biggest problem I see is that most people are woefully over-weighted in US stocks. To make matters even worse, its usually exposure to just large US company stocks.

Their advisors might have placed them into General Motors, GE, Verizon, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and similar large stocks.

The problem here is that the investor thinks he or she is properly diversified, but in reality, they have several sectors representing only two asset classes. So when one of the stocks rises, generally they all rise. But when one drops in price, more often then not they all drop. The result: unintentional wild swings in account values.

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What’s Your End Game?

07/01/2011 by

I often get the deer in headlight stare when I ask that question. My father was a taskmaster my whole life….to the point of annoyance as a young person. The […]

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Stock Pickers Market?

06/28/2011 by

Just getting back from the Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) conference in Austin. Other than 104 degree temperatures, it was a great conference.

Anyways, I got to meet and talk to Eugene Fama and Kenneth French. They will probably win a Nobel Prize at some point for their ground breaking research on which our portfolios are based. They are some big brains!

I’d like to share with you a little of what French had to say. I love the consistency of his message. He doesn’t change with the wind. Based on his extensive research, he knows what works and he sticks with it through all market cycles. He only has ONE message.

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Women More Likely to Consult a Professional Advisor

06/15/2011 by

Women More Likely To Consult A Professional Advisor

Women investors are more likely to consult a professional financial advisor than men, according to a new study of wealthy women investors released by the Spectrem Group on Tuesday.
According to the Lake Forest, Ill.-based consulting firm, around 46 percent of those with a net worth of between $100,000 and $1 million rely primarily on a financial advisor for their information. Women’s use of financial advice increases with wealth levels, according to the survey. Roughly 64 percent of female millionaire investors and 82 percent of female ultra-high-net-worth investors — with assets of $5 million and up — seek financial information from a professional advisor.

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Smorgasbord Investing (Town & Gown)

06/08/2011 by

This weeks Weekly Clarity Coaching is also this months “Town & Gown coaching article that we create here at Financial Abundance. For those not local, T&G is a prestigious local magazine, a State College and Penn State tradition since 1966. This month article featured Deb Seward here in the office and she explains why most american’s end up with a lot of stuff in their portfolio. A short and informative read…

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Smorgasbord Investing

06/01/2011 by

Many people walk through life trying to be good stewards and prudent investors finding on the eve of retirement that they basically acquired a huge pot luck of various investments […]

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What a Difference a Day Makes!

05/26/2011 by

This weekend is very special! As a peace time veteran I did have often considered myself lucky not to have served in combat. My job description and duties as a crew chief in Ch-53’s would have put me in the line of fire. I often think of my military service with a humble heart and say to myself “there but for the grace of god go I” when pondering on those currently in harms way.

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Women & Investing Weekly Clarity Coaching

05/19/2011 by

This weeks Weekly Clarity Coaching is coming from Deb Seaward here in our office. She has been working hard to add some coaching for women to our office, here is a taste of more to come.

Men no need to watch this one…..not!!!! Guys the ladies in our lives are far too important, lets all get coached up!

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Investing with Looming Deficit

05/13/2011 by

This week’s weekly clarity coaching is a video from Fox Business News discussing “How the Government Deficits Impacts How You Invest”. Mark Matson does a great job keeping the hype in check and once again providing a rational and prudent approach to the TRADITIONAL mantra “chase the market”.

Have you ever wondered why most of the financial information on the air waves is centered on short term news bites attempting justification for proactively managing our wealth?? Changing ones investment to correspond with the current economic environment?

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The Taxman Cometh

05/06/2011 by

This week’s weekly clarity coaching is a video I recently ran across of one of my favorite economists, Milton Friedman. It’s a 30-year-old interview. The interview is from March 21, 1982. I found this nostalgic and interesting because it’s the old panel format.

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Quickest Way To Pay Off Your Mortgage

05/01/2011 by

There are different schools of thought on ways to accelerate paying of your mortgage.  Most people are familiar with the 15-year mortgage versus the 30-year mortgage.  The idea is a […]

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Target Funds & 401(k) Plans

04/28/2011 by

A number of years ago, employers began to include Target Date Funds as choices in their 401(k) plans.

The idea behind these investments, sometimes called “Lifecycle Funds,” is to help you to easily allocate your retirement plan contributions. Essentially, you would select a Target Date Fund that was “dated” close to the year you planned to retire, and, often, not include any of the other investment choices available in your company’s plan. For example, if you want to retire in 2015, you might select “Target Date Fund – 2015.” If you thought you would begin to enjoy your Golden Years in 2020, then you might choose “Target Date Fund – 2020.

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Government Shutdown Market Impact

04/18/2011 by

A recent Friday, late in the evening, Congress and the White House came to an agreement that averted a partial government shutdown – for now. Over the course of last week, several advisors asked for my take on what would happen to the stock markets if the government had closed down, even temporarily. Some of these advisors following the active approach to investment management, wondered if they should “sell,” or if should they “buy.” Would the markets go up? Or would they go down? How should they react?

My advice was that if client portfolios were properly designed from the beginning, there would be no need to make any changes to existing portfolios.

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Taxes…Taxes…Taxes

04/12/2011 by

What else comes to mind when you think of April? Taxes…Taxes…Taxes! I’ve attached a video that may hit close to home for some of you having just recently gathered up and prepared your own taxes. If you found your self saying, “I need to do something about these taxes”, this is a good place to start. Doug is a friend of mine and has been a financial planner for over 30 years and we’ve incorporated some of his Missed Fortune strategies in our own planning as well as in plans for qualified clients. Please stop by the office to discuss some Missed Fortune concepts if you feel proactive tax planning may benefit your situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlfXYzdt4Bk

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Portfolio Construction: The Mideast Wants Free Markets

03/15/2011 by

A client called and asked somewhat nervously if, with all the turmoil going on in Northern Africa, were we invested in Egypt and Libya? The implication was that if we were invested in one of these two countries, should we sell? Or, if we were not invested in one of these countries, should we buy?

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