For weeks, the major indices had been declining but in mid-March, we saw a very abrupt reversal. I’m often reminded of the familiar saying “Investors must be present to win.” In other words, the price (or cost) of admission to the investment experience is market volatility.
Pictures and video coming from Ukraine are difficult to watch. As humans, we may be angered and ask, “How can I help?” In investing, typically the best thing to do in the moments when we are most tempted to do “something,” is simply to sit still.
Investors are always on the lookout, it seems, for new and profitable ways to help make their dollars work for them. One that has come up quite often on our clients’ radars recently is Series I Bonds (or just I Bonds).
As with many things in life, there are usually lessons to be learned from our experiences that can be carried over into other aspects of life. Here are a few things jumping out of an airplane taught me about investing.
Life is full of choices. We make thousands of them each day, from the very first moment we wake up. Some are small and relatively easy to make, like what to eat for breakfast. Some choices are much larger and take much more effort to consider.
Housing affordability is trending in the wrong direction. Take a look at our chart of the month showing housing affordability over the last 50 years.
A common question among nonprofit associations is how much they should hold in reserve assets. There is a “rule of thumb” that associations should hold six months of operating expenses in reserve. Is this common rule of thumb common practice?
There is just something about the NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournament. There is tremendous excitement in many families and workplaces as tournament brackets are filled in with predictions about the outcomes of 67 games over a three-week period.
There is always more stuff to do or buy. There are always more “what if’s” for which to account. It’s a rare creature who has found contentment in what they already have, a person who no longer searches for the next thing or feels empty because of what they do not have.
Two Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) mutual funds that are held in after-tax accounts managed by Foster Group at Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade will be converted by DFA to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on Friday, September 10th.
By the time you read this, you will have most likely forgotten today. My guess is that you won’t remember what went on this day. You might remember a feeling or thought you had when you heard what was happening in the stock market. But then, you sent an email, mowed your lawn, took your dog on a walk and ate something healthy, like broccoli, for dinner.
In 2006, the Federal government created an alternate design in the Medicare market to complement supplement plans and stand-alone prescription drug plans. They’re called Medicare Advantage plans. Although the start was a bit rocky, carriers have learned and grown with their plan designs. Here are some of the most talked about design concepts of the Medicare Advantage plans.
While executive benefits such as stock options, other equity compensation, and deferred compensation can be powerful accumulation tools, knowing how they fit into your overall financial picture can be challenging.
At Foster Group, we believe technology is an incredible asset when it comes to planning and portfolio construction. We also believe that human beings are not robots and determining what to do with your money requires more than an advanced algorithm – as great and helpful as these are.
If an investor could discover the true worth of a company, a piece of real estate or even an idea, where “true worth” equated to the future value or price that others would pay, success would be almost certain to follow. Those opportunities that were priced significantly lower than the future value would be automatic buys. The one’s with higher prices today than the future price would be ones to avoid. If only it were that simple!
A mega backdoor Roth is a great option to quickly build a tax-free bucket of money for individuals who have maxed out other retirement savings vehicles, still have surplus to be invested, and have a 401(k) plan that allows for this strategy. Consider this an additional tool in your toolbox.
Medicare seems like the Alphabet soup of health insurance. Parts A, B, C, D and then the myriad of supplemental coverage. As Charlie Brown would say, “Good Grief”…. Let’s decipher it here.
Recently, I attended the Kansas City Air Show and witnessed the precision acrobatics of the Navy’s Blue Angels, a team of six intensely trained pilots performing incredible high-flying stunts. Foster Group financial advisors are not known for performing at 10,000 feet, but we are catalysts for positive life change and, unlike static aircraft displays at a two-day event, we will continue our work tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.
For most Americans, their house is their most significant asset. But it’s also the most personal one. There's a lot of emotion inside those four walls. If you want to buy your first or next home, it’s crucial to have a game plan going into it. Here are a few principles to consider when it comes to buying a home.
Tears, bottles, diaper changes, onesies, little fingers, and strange sleep schedules – as many of you know, these are just a few of the things to expect when you bring home your newborn from the hospital. And here’s something else to expect: new tax credits! While I know good parents don’t have kids to lower their tax bill, it’s nice of the US Government to extend a bit of kindness to those taking on the heartache – and joy! – of becoming parents.
Investors have been experiencing some fear of heights recently. Many stocks and stock markets are at or near all-time highs. So, here’s the question investors need to ask themselves today, ”Do you think that stock markets 26 years from now will be higher or lower than they are currently, even if today is an all-time high?”
