Chart of the Month – Apr 2022
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.
Webinar: Uncertainty in Ukraine (and Beyond)
How do we deal with uncertainty in a globally connected world? Uncertainty is nothing new. It's an ongoing factor in global markets that can be embraced and often managed in investment portfolios. In this webinar, we will cover: potential impacts of Russia and Ukraine on your portfolio, the ripple effects of the war on inflation, interest rates, oil, and continuing market volatility, thoughts on what you could consider doing now, and updates regarding ongoing developments.
How Much Should Associations Hold in Reserve Assets?
Category: Investing » Asset Allocation
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?
Market Madness
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.
Can You Ever Have Enough?
Category: Financial Planning » Retirement Planning
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.
Why Index Funds Don’t Work for Some People
Category: Investing » Active Management
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.
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.
Spring Clean Your Financial Plan
Category: Investing » Asset Allocation
You can’t have spring without spring cleaning. As you tackle your home, yard, and other spaces this year, your financial plan might also need to be spruced up. Here are a few tips to clean up your financial plan this spring.
The Two Most Important Questions to Answer When Choosing a Financial Advisor
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
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...
June 7, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Alternative Investments
It’s summertime and we have two summer’s worth of movies to look forward to after 2020’s reduced calendar. AMC, a company that runs movie theaters has seen their stock value go way up in the past few weeks. Is this about great movies or something else?
This week Kent Kramer talks about two different valuation theories: Firm Foundation Theory and Castle-in-the-air Theory.
Decoding Crypto(currency) Webinar, June 3, 2021
Category: Investing » Alternative Investments
Are you curious about all the buzz around Cryptocurrency? What is it and should you consider investing in it? Tune in to our on-demand webinar where Kent Kramer, Jason Brown, and Ryne Oller dive into decoding cryptocurrency.
Alphabet Soup
Category: Financial Planning » Charitable Giving
Many industries use acronyms. Financial services are no different: QCD, RMD, DAF, and IRA to name a few. They each have their own rules and guidelines. We enjoy working with clients on a daily basis to help make sense of these terms.
5/29 is for 529’s
May 29th is National 529 plan day. While there are many ways to save for future college expenses, a 529 plan remains one of the best.
How to Avoid Tyrannically Urgent Yet Unimportant Investment Ideas
As we’ll see, each of these are real risks, because if they are unmanaged or unanticipated, they may cause investors to focus on the wrong things at the wrong times and lead to actions that may sabotage goals and portfolios.
May 24, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
This week Kent Kramer talks with Daniel Wallick from Vanguard for part two of our interview. This second part focuses on constructing a portfolio, different types of primary goals, and comparing your success to others’.
How the “Little Guy” Really Wins in the Market
Don’t believe the lie that you don’t belong or that the keys belong to someone who won’t give them to you.
Stock Markets Are Like Kids
Category: Foster Group
As I was driving into work, I realized that toddlers are a lot like the stock market.
May 10, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Fixed Income / Bonds
Daniel Wallick joins us from Vanguard for a two-part interview on our bi-monthly Financial Perspectives. This first part centers on interest rates, inflation, and the bond market. Are you wondering about what part bonds play in your portfolio and what do interest rates and potential inflation have to do with that?
Webinar: Creating Your Paycheck in Retirement
Category: Financial Planning
Joe Bantz and Jason Brown discuss strategies for tapping into your portfolio during retirement.
April 26, 2021 Financial Perspectives
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?
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Category: Foster Group
We live in a world where many people disagree on almost everything. It is easy to get caught up in our own heads, our own fears, or our own biases.