My General Contractor and I
Category: Financial Planning
That’s when I realized, constructing a basement wasn’t all that different from constructing a financial plan.
My Favorite Blog Posts and Podcast Episodes from 2020
Many of my favorite content pieces from 2020 reflect on the themes of uncertainty, risk, change, and remaining optimistic in the face of unsettling circumstances.
Mutual Funds and ETFs: What’s the Difference?
There are structural differences between an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) and a mutual fund that can create advantages to using one over the other.
More Stimulus Aid on the Horizon
Category: Financial Planning
On January 14th, President Biden presented his plan, titled the American Rescue Plan, for the next round of economic aid related to the ongoing pandemic.
Money, Happiness, & Meaning
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
We’ve all heard the adage, “Money can’t buy happiness,” but the truth is more nuanced. Let's dig into the research.
Money Silence Hurts Families – Three Tips to Break the Cycle & Empower Healthy Money Talk
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
If you think talking about money with your spouse, parents, or children is difficult, you are not alone. Here are three tips to get started on a healthier money talk journey with your loved ones.
Money Can’t Buy Happiness, or Can It
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
The book Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending by Elizabeth Dunn & Michael Norton has changed the way I think and feel about spending. It’s based on academic research that identifies ways that spending can increase our joy, something I didn’t think possible before reading this book!
Money and Emotions
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
The first step to managing emotions in financial decisions is to understand the script or story you are telling yourself about money and where it came from.
Investments Are Long-Term; Brackets Are Short-Term.
As the NCAA tournament wraps up, many sports fans are reflecting on their brackets, winning their office pools, and bragging rights with friends. Similarly, others focus on their investments and trying to predict which stocks will perform the best. We may think of these as two separate worlds, but there are numerous similarities between the two.
Investment Policy Statement – Why Is It Important?
It is important for all investors, whether an individual, family, retirement plan, or nonprofit, to plan their investment approach around their goals and objectives. Investment Policy Statements (IPS) often document these items. Here are four reasons why it is important to have a clearly articulated IPS.
Inflation Aware Investing
You know the old saying, “What goes up must come down.” Currently everything seems to be going up at the same time.
Inflation – How High & How Long? | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Interest Rates
While the war in Ukraine is in day 25, leaders around the world are looking to not only stem that two-nation conflict, but also to tame the higher-than-expected global inflation which threatens to slow or derail the post-pandemic economic recovery that had been underway.
Individual Pricing Schedules
Category: Foster Group
View Foster Group's pricing schedule for individual clients.
Index vs. Active – Tracking the Costs
Category: Investing » Active Management
Foster Group Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer, discusses the various costs associated with Active and Index Investing.
Increasing ROI: Return of the Investor – YOU! | Financial Perspectives (In a Minute)
Category: Investing » Active Management
What investor wouldn't like to have a little more return? This week, Kent Kramer breaks down the average investor return calculation and the options you may have to be better than average.
Important Updates on IRA Tax Reporting
Category: Financial Planning » Charitable Giving
It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to keep records of distributions made to charity and contributions to their IRA and account for those on their tax return.
If You Had a Dollar for Every Financial Advisor that Just Wanted Your Money
Category: Foster Group
If you had a dollar for every financial advisor that just wanted your money - your financial future would already be secure. At Foster Group, our team is different. One whose focus is on you and your dreams. Together, we'll create a strategy that helps get you there - wherever 'there' is for you.
I Want to Be Like Them
Category: Financial Planning » Charitable Giving
Stories like this spread and inspire others to be generous.