Money, Happiness, & Meaning
We’ve all heard the adage, “Money can’t buy happiness,” but the truth is more nuanced. Let's dig into the research.
We’ve all heard the adage, “Money can’t buy happiness,” but the truth is more nuanced. Let's dig into the research.
“What books would you recommend?” “What podcasts do you listen to?” At Foster Group we often get asked questions like these. Here’s a short list of some recent responses from our team.
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.
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.
For most of us, it’s that time of the year when we make benefits elections for next year. These are important decisions.
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.” 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?
How Do Treasuries Lose Money? US Treasury bonds are generally regarded as safe. Sometimes they’re referred to as “risk-free” assets. This is a bit of a misnomer.
What does generosity mean to you? Foster Group Founder Jerry Foster and his wife, Nancy, share stories about starting small and finding causes they believed in. Hear how you can discover and develop your unique generosity framework.
Why is short-termism a curse for investors? How can you overcome it by focusing on the big picture? This week, Kent Kramer explains how to avoid the pitfalls of recency bias and market noise.
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.
In our family, we have a tradition in which, the night before our kids’ birthdays, we pause for a moment to recap the last year by reminiscing about their successes and failures. It dawned on me that these are the same feelings investors experience and learn from on their financial journeys.
There's a lot of uncertainty in the world. Investors are asking, "What should I be doing in my portfolio right now based on what is happening in the world?" This week, Kent Kramer looks at five key investment ideas to help determine if your approach is reflecting the things that are most important.
The beginning of the fourth quarter is a great time to check-in on your finances and make sure you consider planning opportunities before the end of the calendar year. Read this blog to see my top three priorities when it comes to fourth quarter planning.
Takeaways from a smattering of the headlines across a wide range of news sources in 2022 and early 2023.
As a financial advisor for the past 28 years, I’ve been asked about real estate hundreds of times. Every type of real estate carries pros and cons, risks and rewards.
This week, Jason Brown is joined by Lead Advisor, Caleb Brown. Hear Caleb share what he likes most about his job, how his perspective has changed over the years, what he feels clients value the most about working with Foster Group, good and bad money decisions, and what he's hopeful for in the future.
I used to laugh at the TV commercial years ago that stated, “Most people spend more time planning their vacation than their retirement.” It’s funny how your perspective can change with time. Now, I gladly note all details of a personal trip, perhaps as a parallel of my work.
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.
I’d love to be the person who can tell you why a car squeaks when you drive it and who could fix it. But as time goes by and I haven’t developed those skills, I’m coming to grips with the fact that it probably just isn’t in my wheelhouse. It’s not that I couldn’t learn, it’s that I’d rather focus on and learn about other things. There comes a point with your personal finances when you need to decide what you’ll do and what you’ll pay someone else to do.