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.
Clarity Coaching Tips
Here you will find many tidbits of coaching and financial information that often needs to be clarified for most American investors. Some of the information is very basic and in the form of a current market update. Some of the information is timely topics, based on current social political and economic climate. Some of these are strategies, ideas, and concepts that we have picked up through the years and implemented in our practice. Basically a soup to nuts area of information on all things financial.
Check out our Clarity Coaching Video Clips and the “It’s Your Money” podcasts for more tidbits that might pique your interest.
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
401(k) Accounts & the DOL
03/08/2011 by
Last weekend’s Wall Street Journal had a front page article called Retiring Boomers Find 401(k) Plans Fall Short. The article begins by noting that “The 401(k) generation is beginning to retire, and it isn’t a pretty sight. The retirement savings plans that many baby boomers thought would see them through old age are falling short in many cases.”
This article peaked my interest since 401(k)’s are the retirement saving vehicles of our time. The old traditional defined benefit plans that promised a certain benefit every month after retirement until death are dinosaurs. The burden has shifted to employees to fund their own retirement through these and similar plans.
Investment Answers with Gordon Murray
02/17/2011 by
“Well, I’ve never heard of that.” I’ve heard this statement through the years and have always thought it to be a mix of arrogance and ignorance. “Well…what else, my friend, in this massive universe have you not heard of?” It’s interesting how many times the late Mr. Murray must have heard this question from interviewers about his best selling book in the month before passing away.
Leading Economic Indicator
02/09/2011 by
January was a great month for the stock market! The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2.7% and the S&P 500 Index was up 2.4%. It was the best January for the markets in 14 years.
Wow! Does that mean we’re going to have a Great Year? The “January Barometer” says so. But is this widely followed stock market indicator just another myth? The “January Barometer” works this way: If January is an “UP” month, it could mean a good year for the stock market. But if January is a “DOWN” month, well, that means that it would probably be a pretty dismal year for investors.
It would be nice if it worked, but unfortunately, the theory just does not hold up to scientific scrutiny.
Retirement & Municipal Bonds
01/11/2011 by
As you know, we are not big fans of Municipal Bonds. You will not find a single Municipal Bond among the 10,000 – 14,000 holdings in any of the Academically Managed accounts that many of you own through me. But often, retirees and those preparing for retirement are heavily invested in municipal bonds and bond funds. Unfortunately, in many cases, their advisors may not have disclosed to them the significant risks that such a strategy bears.
Income Planning: Budget Challenge
12/08/2009 by
Many of us think that we are good stewards of our money. We often think that each purchase is something we need, when in reality it is only something we want. When I was younger I thought I was a great steward of my money. At that time I was living hand to mouth, as most young people do when they are just getting started. It seemed I didn’t have enough money at the end of the month to save. Then I met a very successful gentleman who made a huge difference on my life. He suggested I do the following:
U.S. Representative, Glen ‘GT’ Thompson
12/02/2009 by
The following is an excerpt from U.S. Representative Glen “GT” Thompson, who will be featured on this weeks radio show, regarding the current health care debate. As a proponent of pulling back the curtain on the issues that matter to you, I thought it would be prudent to offer some insight to this issue.
Headline in The New York Times: “Public Option Push in Senate Comes With Escape Hatch.” I read that and thought, “Why have the Democrats crafted their health care reform in this manner? Why would they need an ‘escape hatch’?”
If Something You Thought to be True, Wasn’t True…
11/02/2009 by
It is difficult to get the right solution when you start out with the wrong premise. If we center ourselves in a false belief system, we become what we believe. An example of that false belief system existed until 1954. It was common belief that no human could run a mile in less than four minutes and live to tell about it. Medically, it was believed at that time that to attempt to run a mile in less than four minutes would bring about certain disaster to the human body. No one in the history of mankind was ever timed running a sub-four minute mile… no one, that is, until Roger Banister. On a sunny Saturday morning, the young Englishman defeated a belief system and certain death by running one mile in 3:59:40.
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