How Much Should I Have in Stocks? | Financial Perspectives

Many people like the idea of higher expected returns that stocks may produce, but the higher return potential comes with more risk. This week, Kent Kramer walks us through a possible approach to understanding how much of your portfolio could be invested in stocks.

Poker Lessons. Expect to Be Surprised. | Financial Perspectives

Poker is great training ground for evaluating circumstances where you may have enough information to know the odds of success or failure, but not enough information to guarantee the outcome -- a lot like investing. This week, Kent Kramer looks at how understanding odds and probability can help make sense of elections and investment markets.

3 Reasons to Own Foreign Stocks … Now! | Financial Perspectives

You may find yourself asking, "Why should I be invested outside the US, when the US market is doing so well relative to foreign stocks?" This week, Kent Kramer explains how this question can be answered by understanding risk management, global opportunities, and the currency effect.

Tax Loss Harvesting: Losing to Win?

In the investing world, how can it be possible to win even when you lose? That is precisely what occurs when utilizing a tax loss harvesting strategy.  Let's take a look!

Barbell Portfolios Can Be Hard To Hold On To

Barbells work great at the gym because they put weight on a bar in such a way that it’s balanced, leaving room in the middle for someone to use it to workout. We often see portfolios that are designed like a barbell at the gym: lots of risk in one account and lots of cash or very short-term securities in another. In aggregate, it might produce some balance, but the reality is that it can create some real challenges.

Why Index Funds Don’t Work for Some People

Index funds are popular investment tools for good reason. They are low cost, effective ways to capture market return. Choosing to use index funds is only half the battle though; you must use them correctly to truly benefit. 

Positives About the Market

2022 was a historically painful year as an investor with stock markets experiencing a bear market, and bond markets having one of their worst years ever. However, as we enter 2023, I’d like to consider the positives.