Chart of the Month – April 2024
Trying to time the market and choosing to sell in reaction to headlines tends to be a predictable mistake. There always seems to be a reason to sell.
Tailoring Your Financial Plan to Match Your Goals
If you are a client of Foster Group and have met with your advisor recently, you may have discussed what’s important to you, what we are planning for as it relates to your goals, and what you hope to achieve.
Business Owners, Beware of the “Missing Middle”
For many family businesses, the lack of clear succession plans is the most significant challenge.
March: Predictable Madness and Markets | Financial Perspectives
In the NCAA tournaments, uncertainty and underdogs pulling off the impossible upset of a top-ranked team is a certainty. This week, Kent Kramer observes how we can learn from March Madness and apply those observations to investing.
Celebrating 50 Years of Equal Credit Opportunities for Women
Category: Foster Group
As a woman in finance, I often like to think about how far we, as women, have come. A lot has changed for women in finance in the last 50 years, and I hope to see even more changes in the next 50!
“Sportsified” Diversification
The benefit of a diversified investment portfolio is that, while again we do not know who the actual winners and losers will be, the risk of excluding the best is greatly reduced.
2024 Looks as Uncertain as Ever | Financial Perspectives
The world is, and has always been, a surprising and uncertain place. This week, Kent Kramer dives into Foster Group's foundational investment principle #2: Embrace Uncertainty. He provides four positive reasons to embrace uncertainty and two big dangers of not embracing it.
Chart of the Month – March 2024
Many people are apprehensive about the markets, whether we’re in a bear market or a bull market. The fear of a market correction is always present.
Navigating the Noise: A Reality Check on Fearful Headlines
Sometimes headlines are right, but remember they are created to get your attention, not necessarily to provide you with helpful information.
Our Favorite Book & Podcasts of 2023
Category: Uncategorized
“What books would you recommend?” “What podcasts do you listen to?” At Foster Group we often get asked questions like these. Here’s a short list of some recent responses from our team.
It’s Gotten Better – Expect it to Continue | Financial Perspectives (In a Minute)
Coming off the Thanksgiving holiday, are you feeling optimistic? If you are an investor, you've likely answered the question with a "yes." This week, Kent Kramer explains why long-term optimism is justifiable in a world filled with bad news.
Have You Come to Terms with the Reality of Your Retirement?
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
People come to terms with the fact they will one day retire. Maybe not in the next year or two but sometime in the next five. Often, it’s a reality they’ve been denying.
How to Use Your Deferred Compensation Plan
For most of us, it’s that time of the year when we make benefits elections for next year. These are important decisions.
That’s Not What I Expected | Financial Perspectives
Oftentimes, you don't know what your expectations are until they aren't met. This week, Kent Kramer looks at how relative risk and comparison within investing may impact your investment experience.
Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Results
Category: Foster Group
“Past performance is not indicative of future results.” Most people think of investing when they hear or read the sentence above, the ultimate statement of caution. What do you think of this statement when it comes to baseball?
Chart of the Month – Nov 2023
How Do Treasuries Lose Money? US Treasury bonds are generally regarded as safe. Sometimes they’re referred to as “risk-free” assets. This is a bit of a misnomer.
Event Replay: Generosity. More Than One Way to Give. More Than One Way to Get Started.
Category: Financial Planning » Charitable Giving
What does generosity mean to you? Foster Group Founder Jerry Foster and his wife, Nancy, share stories about starting small and finding causes they believed in. Hear how you can discover and develop your unique generosity framework.
Psychology and Wealth
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
The different ways people react to and treat wealth and finances is fascinating. Although not everyone can be put in a box, there are five main personality types when it comes to psychology and wealth: Neuroticism/Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Openness.
War in Israel: Market Meltdown?
Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
Does war in Israel mean a big market meltdown? It’s hard to escape the war news. One way to think about the future is by looking at the past for similar circumstances.
Does War in Israel Mean Market Meltdown? | Financial Perspectives (In a Minute)
Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
It is hard to escape the news of war in Israel. And it is not unusual for investors to wonder about possible impacts the war may have on markets. This week, Kent Kramer analyzes returns of foreign and US stock markets during years when Israel has been at war.
Time to Revisit Your Cash Reserve Fund
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
Nearly four out of ten Americans lack enough money to cover an unexpected $400 expense? The statistics on this have remained consistent over the years. One of the first steps in building a strong financial foundation is creating an emergency fund. The idea is to prepare for the unexpected expenses of life.