Consider This
Category: Investing
Concentration Can Be a Killer
Category: Investing
Matt Moklestad gives a brief reminder of why diversification is important, especially in these volatile times.
Compound the Growth of Your 2024 Plans | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
What small, consistent steps are in your control this year that, if you complete them, can result in accumulated progress for years to come? This week, Kent Kramer discusses how financial planning may help us discover these kinds of things.
Cloudy Markets Still Have a Silver (Tax) Lining
Category: Investing » Diversification
During negative market cycles, there are some planning and investment strategies that might strengthen your financial plans. One such opportunity is tax-loss harvesting
ChatGPT & The Big 8 | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
With the biggest tech companies regaining stock market leadership, it’s understandable why investors and the media are attracted to these stocks. However, it’s tempting to forget how these same companies’ stock prices performed in 2022. This week, Kent Kramer shares some investment lessons to be learned from this AI/big tech story.
Chart of the Month – September 2025
Category: Investing
It’s easy to get lost in the sheer size of government finances — and what they might mean for you. In Michael's latest blog post, he breaks down some of the complexities.
Chart of the Month – September 2024
Category: Investing
Do you wonder why we invest in equities? Equities are an attractive investment for their growth characteristics, but they have also served as a hedge against inflation.
Chart of the Month – Sept 2023
Category: Investing
The current state of the housing market has left many puzzled. In a scenario where interest rates are soaring, one would naturally anticipate a decline in housing prices. Surprisingly, this anticipated correction has yet to occur.
April 9, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer gives an investment recap from the past week and discusses portfolio positioning.
April 3, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
In this Foster Group update, Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer gives an investment recap from the past week and discusses bear markets, recessions, and recovery.
April 26, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Markets have been reaching some all-time highs recently. US stock markets, foreign stock markets, even newer assets like bitcoin, SPACs, and NFTs have been soaring much of the past six months. At these relatively high values more than a few skeptics are predicting a fall. Some say correction – a temporary minor adjustment; some say crash – major problem ahead. Is there a reason to be acrophobic – fearful about markets at record heights?
April 24, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Kent gives a quick recap of market performance so far this year and why it’s important for investors to stay invested. He also takes a look at the oil price shock and how oil and energy prices have affected the economy historically.
April 17, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Kent gives a recap of the market over the past week including a look at the current state of unemployment. He also takes a look back at the past 20 years of asset class returns.
April 12, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
One of my favorite comedians has always been Steve Martin. One of his funnier routines was “let’s get small.” Lately small company stocks have been outperforming their large company counterparts and it’s hard not to notice. What is a small company and why the outperformance recently?
Annuities- Read the Fine Print
Category: Investing
An Investment Portfolio Is Like a Good Smoothie
Category: Investing
Recently, I rediscovered the benefits of homemade smoothies for breakfast. They are nutritious, natural, easy to make, efficient, and delicious! This morning, I was thinking about how a good investment portfolio is like a good smoothie!
An Executive’s Financial Guide
Category: Financial Planning » Estate & Transfer Planning
Our eBook, An Executive's Financial Guide, can help with your road map to retirement, as we show you new ways to make use of your wealth for purposes important to you.
Am I OK? Building Income Safety Into Your Portfolio
Category: Investing
Market periods like these have a way of making virtually everyone ask the questions, "Am I okay? Is my financial plan going to survive these latest seismic events?" Kent Kramer looks at historical worst-case scenarios and how they could be used to inform your financial plan.
All-Weather Investing: Preparing Your Portfolio for Any Market
Category: Investing
Summer travel reminds us that even the best-laid plans can run into unexpected storms. The same is true for investing—your portfolio should be prepared to weather whatever the market forecast brings. Let’s take a look at how to help you stay on course.
A Pie of Different Flavors
Category: Investing