Retirement Planning Through a Crisis
Category: Financial Planning
Walt Mozdzer, Lead Advisor, explains how decisions you make now can impact your retirement down the road.
Saving for a Rainy Day
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
According to a 2020 Federal Reserve study, 36% of American adults do not have enough cash to cover a $400 unexpected expense1. While the opposite 64% say they DO have enough, that still leaves around 90 million American adults unable to handle a modest money disruption in their lives.
Is Leasing Right for You?
October was the worst month for new car sales at his dealership in over ten years. In fact, only about 10% of car buyers that month were electing to lease new vehicles and typically, leasing is less expensive than buying. What’s going on here?
Five Ideas for Year-end Charitable Tax Savings
Five ideas for integrating your finances and your philanthropy.
Fitch Downgrade: A Closer Look | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Diversification
Fitch downgraded US government debt from its pristine AAA rating to one notch lower at AA+. While this news may raise some eyebrows, it is essential to keep it in perspective. This week, Matt Moklestad and Michael Westphal have a conversation about its implications and the necessity of diversification.
A Look Under the Hood of a Bond Fund | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
A lot of investors may be wondering how rising interest rates might be impacting their investments, so today, we're going to talk about bond funds -- how they operate, some of the details, and see how they're responding to this environment.
How is COVID-19 Impacting Real Estate Investment Trusts?
Category: Investing
How have real estate investments been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent global lockdown?
March 8, 2021 Financial Perspectives
In 2020 interest rates hit an all-time low, and now interest rates are on the move again. It seems like investors are taking notice. This week, Matt Moklestad looks at interest rates, bonds, and inflation expectations.
June 21, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
As investors we are bombarded with continuous news on the stock market and bonds. We think it can be helpful to take a step back and ask the question: are the indexes on the financial media a proper point of reference for you?
Chart of the Month – Dec 2022
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Those of you who keep up with the financial news are likely familiar with the three most quoted indices, the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the NASDAQ. Sometimes, the returns for all of them are similar, but sometimes they are not.
Chart of the Month – Feb 2023
Category: Investing » Diversification
Recently, a client asked me about sectors. What are they? And how do they fit into a portfolio?
Bad News
Is the title to this blog supposed to be clickbait? Of course it is. That is the point of this blog. Bad news sells.
Chart of the Month – Mar 2023
Category: Investing » Diversification
Is there conclusive evidence that one sector is better than another when it comes to returns?
Debt- A Useful Tool or Financial Burden
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
After 30 years of helping people think about all aspects of their financial plan, here are some thoughts on personal debt.
The Challenge of Entering a Bull Market
A Q&A with Senior Lead Advisor, Phil Kruzan.
Satisfying Your Tastes and Preferences for Investing and Dining
If you were asked to describe what you liked about your favorite food, where would you start? If you were asked to describe what you would like in your investment portfolio, what would you emphasize?
Embrace Uncertainty!
We may not like uncertainty, but we need to understand and embrace it to keep ourselves positioned for both survival and success.
How Elections Affect the Market
A bit of history helps bring some perspective to trying to read too much into the influence of elections on stock markets.
Coronavirus Worries Drive Economic Uncertainty and Stock Market Declines
Investment markets around the world have been declining sharply this week in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.