A Blinding Flash of the Obvious
CNBC was on in the background, I wasn’t really paying attention, but then I heard it. “No bear market has ever occurred in the US stock market without a recession” There it was a blinding insight into the obvious. Who was that masked man? I may never know. He was gone before I could focus […]
Financial Planning 101: 6 Easy Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
Whether you’re trying to buy a home, looking to refinance or hoping to get a lower interest rate on an automobile loan – your credit score matters. Clients often ask me how they can improve their scores and the answer is the same regardless of which stage of life you’re in. 1) Increase Your Limits This […]
The 5th Financial Commandment for Millennials: Implementing the Right Asset Al
Asset Allocation & Risk Tolerance Part of Oak Street Advisors’ 10 Financial Commandments for Millennials series, understanding risk tolerance, asset allocation, and their relationship, is the foundation of modern portfolio theory. Implementing the proper asset allocation to minimize risk, while still achieving your long-term goals, is crucial to your success and peace of mind. Asset allocation means: […]
529 PLANS: WHAT IF THE BENEFICIARY DECIDES NOT TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION?
Opening and funding a 529 plan for beloved one to help pay for future educational expenses is a smart and caring gesture, but what if the beneficiary decides not to attend an educational institution after graduating high school? Don’t worry! Assets in 529 plans always belong to the account owner rather than the beneficiary and […]
2018 Review/2019 Preview
Volatility Wow! 2018 went out with a huge rise in volatility as stocks swung from a small gain for the year to nearly reaching bear market territory, before rebounding yet again to end the year down 4.38% as measured by the S&P 500 index For 2019, you should expect volatility to remain high. Markets will continue […]
2015 Market Recap
A volatile stock market closed 2015 with a small loss of 0.70% on the S&P 500 index and 1.0% for the Dow. The US Dollar gained about 9% against other major currencies resulting in a 1% loss in the EFA Index for dollar denominated investors. The Federal Reserve finally began raising rates at the end […]
Learn From My Fail: Bill Ackman and Valeant Pharmaceutical
If you haven’t heard of Bill Ackman before then good for you! You’re out living your life and are not too plugged into CNBC. Bill Ackman is a hedge fund manager, he is a really smart guy and made a lot of money for his investors…until recently. His big bet on pharmaceutical company Valeant has […]
If You Invest Following the Headlines, You’ll Soon be Delivering the Paper
Stole that headline from Twitter. Originated with someone named Allen Kuhn. I don’t know Allen but that is a catchy snippet. One hundred and forty characters doesn’t tell much of a story so I will just guess what Allen was thinking. These were all on Yahoo finance today. This could send gold tumbling below $1,000 […]
Year End Tax Planning
With the end of the year approaching, now is the time to look for opportunities to save on income taxes. Here are some items you should look for: Determine whether bunching deductions into 2019 or 2020 will enable you to itemize. Maximize the $15,000 per donee annual gift tax exclusion if estate taxes are a concern […]
The Right Fit
I’m not one to pay buckets of money for custom tailored clothing. Just like many of you, I go to a store, pick out my general size and buy the nearest fitting clothes available. I would enjoy having my shoulders, waist, neck etc. measured to the quarter inch, then have my clothes fit perfectly, but […]
