Value vs Growth – What does that Mean?
Category: Investing
Have you heard the words, “value” and “growth,” when it comes to investing? Let’s face it: These words are often misunderstood and poorly utilized.
The Older & Wiser AI: The Market’s Aggregate Intelligence
Category: Investing
Has Artificial Intelligence been causing you anxiety, or made you wonder about the trustworthiness of investment markets? Be reminded that “educated optimism is an antidote for anxious uncertainty”.
The Market: The Original AI | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
The acronym “AI” has become synonymous with Artificial Intelligence. But what is Aggregate Intelligence -- "AI"? This week, Kent Kramer explains how trusting markets and harnessing their power and prices is a fundamentally sound way to invest.
Chart of the Month – May 2024
Category: Investing
While cash may offer stability and security in the short term, the DFA Returns Web chart from 1926 through February 2024 suggests that the growth potential in stocks offers a higher rewarding investment opportunity in the long run.
Embracing Uncertainty
Category: Investing
Educated optimism is an antidote for anxious uncertainty, and it can be of great help in enabling investors to embrace the uncertainty that is with us all the time.
3 Reasons to Own Foreign Stocks … Now! | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
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.
A Conversation with Award-Winning Portfolio Manager Mary Ellen Stanek | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
In this week's special edition of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer has a conversation with 2022 Morningstar Outstanding Portfolio Manager award winner, Mary Ellen Stanek, who is managing director and co-chief investment officer of Baird. In this conversation, Kent and Mary Ellen cover everything from market history and trends to surprising interviews.
Chart of the Month – April 2024
Category: Investing
Trying to time the market and choosing to sell in reaction to headlines tends to be a predictable mistake. There always seems to be a reason to sell.
Tailoring Your Financial Plan to Match Your Goals
If you are a client of Foster Group and have met with your advisor recently, you may have discussed what’s important to you, what we are planning for as it relates to your goals, and what you hope to achieve.
Should I Invest in Bitcoin?
Category: Investing
Investing is a deliberate act, guided by the overarching principles of enhancing expected returns or mitigating portfolio risk. Let’s look at Bitcoin to see how cryptocurrency might look like an investment opportunity.
How Should an Investor Position Their Overall Investment Portfolio Now and in the Future?
Category: Investing
Right after, “What will the stock market do next?” the positioning question may be the most asked and re-asked question by investors of all types.
Is a Bitcoin ETF a Fit for Your Plan? | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Anytime there is something new that gets a lot of media attention, investors should ask themselves, "Is this an opportunity for me or a distraction for what really matters?" This week, Kent Kramer introduces the first of five investment principles for purposeful investors.
Chart of the Month – January 2024
Category: Investing
Does Your Workplace Cultivate a Championship Team?
Category: Investing
I recently listened to a podcast called, “Invest Like the Best, with Patrick O’Shaughnessy”. The podcast is based on an article written by Michael Lewis in the New York Times Magazine back in 2009, about Shane Battier, a professional basketball player who was the ultimate teammate.
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.
The “Gift” You Shouldn’t Open: Predictions | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
It's that time of year -- news outlets are gathering up nicely wrapped predictions and estimates on what the markets will do in 2024. This week, Kent Kramer analyzes how accurate, or inaccurate, these predictions actually have been in the past.
Chart of the Month – December 2023
Category: Investing
This year, we have seen a runup in several large names, mostly in the technology space. They have been dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” by financial news publications. Why might this matter to an investor?
It’s Gotten Better – Expect it to Continue | Financial Perspectives (In a Minute)
Category: Investing
Coming off the Thanksgiving holiday, are you feeling optimistic? If you are an investor, you've likely answered the question with a "yes." This week, Kent Kramer explains why long-term optimism is justifiable in a world filled with bad news.
Have You Come to Terms with the Reality of Your Retirement?
Category: Investing
People come to terms with the fact they will one day retire. Maybe not in the next year or two but sometime in the next five. Often, it’s a reality they’ve been denying.
That’s Not What I Expected | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing
Oftentimes, you don't know what your expectations are until they aren't met. This week, Kent Kramer looks at how relative risk and comparison within investing may impact your investment experience.
Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Results
Category: Foster Group
“Past performance is not indicative of future results.” Most people think of investing when they hear or read the sentence above, the ultimate statement of caution. What do you think of this statement when it comes to baseball?