How to Spot Political Bias
Being an advisor has helped me better appreciate differing political opinions. I have clients across the political spectrum. This gives me a chance to listen to and care for all my clients, no matter what side or opinion they take.
Home Sweet Home, or an Investment?
Homes are commonly thought of as investments. It’s easy to see why. For most of us, it’s the single biggest thing on our balance sheets for years.
It’s College Planning Time. Are Your Finances Ready?
As you start checking these items off the list, the biggest things you have running through your head are dollar signs – lots and lots of dollar signs.
How One Client Lives a Meaningful, Generous Life
At Foster Group, we encourage our clients to live lives of meaning and generosity, and some of our clients embody this. Of all the amazing stories I’ve heard, the following has impacted me most deeply.
What the Air Force Taught Me About Being a Financial Advisor
Before I joined Foster Group, I served 24 years as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) Specialist in the United States Air Force. It might seem like quite the career transition from Airman to Financial Planner. However, the two paths have more in common than one might expect.
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.
The Gift of Financial Success
Time is the greatest money-making asset you can possess. The earlier you start investing, the easier it is to ensure a lifetime of financial success. Parents and grandparents, there may be an opportunity to give the gift of financial success to your young adult family members while also enjoying estate and tax planning benefits for yourselves.
What Jumping Out of an Airplane Taught Me About Investing
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.
What Do You Want?
Tragically, we humans are, to put it bluntly, awful at wanting the things that will create the most meaning and satisfaction in our lives.
Gifting with a Purpose: Practical Strategies to Positively Impact Your Next Generation
Because saving money early and often can be difficult, consider how you might help those closest to you to do more of it. Here are some scenarios and ideas.
The Two Most Important Questions to Answer When Choosing a Financial Advisor
In working with over a hundred prospective clients in the past five and a half years, I’ve found that these are the two most important questions you need to ask yourself...
Can You Ever Have Enough?
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.
What Does It Mean to Be an Investor? – Part One
For a minute, I want to think broadly about the question, “What does it mean to be an investor?”
Are You Checking Your Accounts Every Day? Stop it.
Does it help or harm the average long-term investor to peek at their own accounts or pay attention to the market every day?
What Does It Mean to Be an Investor? – Part Two
As you peek into the future – hopefully one with greater discretionary time and money – do you envision yourself increasing or decreasing your investment in the well-being of the people close to you and the world in general? Do you see yourself sticking close to the mess of the world or investing in ways that escape it?
Are You in the Bear Market Buyer’s Club?
For the person who is currently contributing to a portfolio and does not need to take distributions anytime soon, this is a gift. That’s right, a bear market is a gift to those investors. If you are contributing to an investment account right now, you are already in the Bear Market Buyer’s Club.
What to Do When the Market Is in a Bad Mood
When the going is good, we’re not all that concerned with asking or answering the question. It is when the going gets tough, like right now, that we find ourselves more interested in asking. So, “What should we do?”
Time to Revisit Your Cash Reserve Fund
Nearly four out of ten Americans lack enough money to cover an unexpected $400 expense? The statistics on this have remained consistent over the years. One of the first steps in building a strong financial foundation is creating an emergency fund. The idea is to prepare for the unexpected expenses of life.
Financial Risks That Are Not in the News
Stock market risk is the primary focus of the financial news. The reason is simple. The scarier the headline, the more eyes are attracted to it.
Things to Ponder This Holiday Season
At Foster Group, the most important thing we do is help our clients have peace of mind. The planning, investing and conversations that lead to peace of mind vary from client to client. The benefits, however, are similar.