Navigating the Course of Retirement Planning
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Like in golf, planning for retirement is a game that requires strategy, focus, and a bit of finesse.
My Top 9 + 1 from Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of Money, spent some time with us last month. Here are my takeaways.
My Favorite Blog Posts and Podcast Episodes from 2020
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
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.
May 29, 2020 Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
0:55 - This Week's News
2:39 - This Week's Financial Highlights
4:36 - Why Is the Stock Market Up When the Economy Is Down?
5:12 - Stock Prices Are Forward Looking
8:06 - Average Returns After Downturns Have Been Positive
2:39 - This Week's Financial Highlights
4:36 - Why Is the Stock Market Up When the Economy Is Down?
5:12 - Stock Prices Are Forward Looking
8:06 - Average Returns After Downturns Have Been Positive
Market Madness
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
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.
March: Predictable Madness and Markets | Financial Perspectives
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
In the NCAA tournaments, uncertainty and underdogs pulling off the impossible upset of a top-ranked team is a certainty. This week, Kent Kramer observes how we can learn from March Madness and apply those observations to investing.
March 27, 2020 Financial Perspectives
In this Foster Group update, Chief Investment Officer, Kent Kramer gives a financial recap from the past week and discusses portfolio rebalancing.
March 22, 2021 Financial Perspectives
Many indicators say the US and global economy are growing at rates faster than expected. Most of this is welcome news given the past 12 months. But is there a danger the economy could overheat? Inflation continues to be on the minds of some, should it be on yours as well?
It’s Gotten Better – Expect it to Continue | Financial Perspectives (In a Minute)
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
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.
Is Your Portfolio Tailored to Fit Your Needs, or Just ‘Off-The-Rack’?
While the alterations may be small and subtle, they make a big difference when it comes to comfort and fit. Our experience is better. For an investment thought experiment, think of the “off the rack suit” as the broad market; we simply take what we get off the shelf with no alteration. Now think of Foster Group as the tailor and the alterations as portfolio personalizations called factor allocations.
Is Your Portfolio Aligned with Your Purpose and Plans?
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
Kent Kramer explains how to align your portfolio with your purpose and plans.
Is the Stock Market a Glass Half Full?
The month of January was marked by negative returns for global stock markets. But, as the well-worn phrase, “Is your glass half full or half empty?” implies, our view of, or the way we feel about the state of markets as investors, may be more related to our personal dispositions than what the numbers indicate.
Is Now a Good Time to Invest? | Financial Perspectives (In a Minute)
A popular question investors often ask is whether NOW is a good time to invest. This week, Kent Kramer talks about what is happening in markets now, and in the past, and what investors may want to know.
Is Now a Good Time to Invest? | Financial Perspectives
A popular question investors often ask is whether NOW is a good time to invest. This week, Kent Kramer talks about what is happening in markets now, and in the past, and what investors may want to know.
Is Fear the Only Thing to Fear? | Financial Perspectives
Fear can grab us and demand a response, such that fear itself can become the real danger. This week, Kent Kramer explores how fear and bad news can impact investing and some simple steps you could consider to avoid emotional investing.
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.
Investors Must Be Present to Win
For weeks, the major indices had been declining but in mid-March, we saw a very abrupt reversal. I’m often reminded of the familiar saying “Investors must be present to win.” In other words, the price (or cost) of admission to the investment experience is market volatility.
Investments Are Long-Term; Brackets Are Short-Term.
Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles
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.