Blog
Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. I try to share information and ideas for people who are members of the Y.O.Y.O Economy. Y.O.Y.O. Economy is the You're On Your Own Economy. In my world that includes people who own a private practice such as an attorney or a dental practice. It also includes people who have come into money. This could be from a job change and needing to do something with their old retirement plan, somebody getting ready to or already retired, an inheritance or the sale of a business.
The Greatest Chart of All Time
I’m sitting on my couch late on a Sunday morning looking at LinkedIn and I just saw the greatest chart of all time. Here it is: Why Is This the Greatest Chart of All Time? I saw this in a post from a guy named...
Read MoreGambling versus Investing
I was flipping through the internet this morning and clicked Yahoo Finance. Here were some of the headlines: Seven of the Top 10 Most-Valuable Stocks are still Cheap, Analysts Says “The Bubble is Real”:...
Read MoreYou Can't Spend Your House
My wife and I bought our first house right after we got married in 1996. We bought it on a real estate contract from the husband of a woman I had known since we were in kindergarten. The interest rate was 8.5%. Later,...
Read MoreThe Double Whammy
2022 was a tough year for investors. The S&P 500 was down almost 20% for the year while the bond market in the United States was down 13%, making it one of the worst years ever for bond investors. In fact, it was only the...
Read MoreWhatcha been doin'??
I thought I would give you a little update on what I’ve been doing personally then share some of the financial planning situations I have been dealing with lately. I want to share some of the situations I have run into...
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What If 2023 Sucks Too?
Happy New Year! 2022 was a bad year for both the stock market as well as the bond market. The S & P 500 will finish the year down almost 20% and 2022 might end up as the worst year for the return of the bond market...
Read MoreNew Year's Resolution 50/30/20
No, that’s not a date from Star Trek. It’s a budgeting rule. Since we’re getting close to the new year, I thought I would share one simple financial planning/budgeting idea you might consider for your new...
Read MoreInvesting is Like Working Out
I’ve talked about this before, but I was watching a YouTube video from a guy named Peter Attia where he is interviewing the coach for an amazing professional cyclist named Tadej Pogacar. The coach is named Inigo San-Millan...
Read MoreIt’s Open Enrollment!
It’s Open Enrollment It’s getting to the time of year where you have options available regarding your life insurance through your employer. A lot of people think it is always cheaper to buy life insurance through...
Read MoreWhat Do Budgeting and Bicycling Have in Common?
Like everyone, I learned to ride a bicycle when I was 4 years old. I never used training wheels. I got on the bike, my Dad pushed me down the driveway and I landed in an evergreen bush. Then I got back on the...
Read MoreEveryone Has a Story
I’m one of those people who knows everybody. Of course, I don’t know everybody, but I always say, if I don’t know The Man, I know the man who knows The Man. Whenever I go to an airport, I’m always...
Read MoreWe Went on Vacation!
Big deal! Who cares? What does this have to do with a financial planning blog or whatever it is I write? Well, sit right back and I’ll tell you why it does.Budgeting In the past, when we went on vacation,...
Read MoreDoes History Rhyme?
This morning I was on a Zoom meeting with a guy I know from Russell Investments. He shared some slides with me that I am going to share in a minute. When I saw the slide I told him, I ain’t sayin’ but I’m...
Read MoreEnhancing an Inherited IRA
One of my clients came in to see me the other day. We were working on her financial plan and one of her accounts was a beneficiary IRA that she inherited from her grandmother who had passed away. While she must take...
Read MoreAll This Stuff Works!
After I became an independent financial advisor back in 2013, I was offered the opportunity to go visit several different money managers for what are called, due diligence meetings. Basically, the money managers invite advisors...
Read MoreHammer Time!
In my last blog post, I wrote about the end of the road. I talked about people’s perception of their retirement being the time when they will need to be super conservative and not lose any money when in fact, they might...
Read MoreEnd of the Road
I’m 58 years old. I’m not thinking about retirement yet, but it’s closer than it used to be. Here’s one definition of retirement: the action or fact of leaving one’s job and ceasing to...
Read MoreIt's Easy to Get Out
It's easy to get out of the market but when do you get back in? I share a few of my thoughts in this piece.
Read More2 Things to Do When You're Starting Out
I was listening to the radio the other day and the announcer person asked, what would have helped you the most when you were first starting out? A woman called in and said, I wish they would have taught me how to budget my...
Read MoreThe Story of One Real Account
I started in the financial services business in June of 1986. I was 22 years old and didn’t really know much about anything. My first exposure to “losing” money in the stock market was on Black Monday,...
Read MoreLosing Money
I don’t know if you have looked at your investment and retirement plan statements lately, but a lot of people are losing money. Over the past several weeks I have had various people tell me they have lost money, performance...
Read MoreWhy Buy Insurance??
I was thinking about insurance this morning. I know. I’ve got problems, but I was still thinking about why you have to buy insurance. In the past, when I have been talking about life insurance, I’ve said...
Read MoreTime to Get Serious!
Reaching the mid-point of your career isn’t like getting your first high-paying job or the last few years before retirement. Those milestones track closely to age, with the first big job coming in your twenties and retirement...
Read MoreHow to Control Inflation
In case you haven’t heard, inflation is the highest it has been in over 40 years. The price of gas, food, housing, etc. seems to be going higher and higher each week. What are you supposed to do? With most...
Read MoreInsuring Your Most Valuable Asset
As many of you who have read any of the blogs I have written know, I work with people in the You’re On Your Own Economy or Y.O.Y.O. Economy. The other thing I talk about is P.A.I.L. which stands for Protection, Asset...
Read MoreWhat's Going to Happen?
I’m writing this on 2/24/2022. Last night, 2/23/2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. I feel horrible for the people of Ukraine. I have watched videos on YouTube from a Ukrainian woman who is fluent in Spanish. ...
Read MoreWhy Social Security is SO Important to My Clients' Retirement Planning
Social Security is Not Going to be Around When I Retire! I’ve told this story before, but I think it’s still important to repeat for this discussion. Years ago, I was at a meeting of 100 or so advisors at the...
Read MoreWhat Should You Do About Inflation and Stock Market Volatility?
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6 Ways to Get Rich
I saw a slide show in an article the other day and one of the slides had a list of the 6 ways to get rich. Here they are:
Read MoreAsset Allocation vs. Asset Location
Probably most people have heard of asset allocation. In case you have not, here is the definition. Asset allocation is the implementation of an investment strategy that attempts to balance risk versus reward by adjusting the...
Read MoreDisability Insurance: How to Protect Your Income
Disability Insurance: How to Protect Your Income Whether you have your own business or work for an employer, protecting your income stream from an illness or injury that will prevent you from working should be a priority. According to...
Read MoreSex, Jobs and Social Security
I was at a meeting at the home office of Northwestern Mutual several years ago. The woman who was speaking asked the group of 100 or more advisors to raise their hand if they thought Social Security was going to be around by the time...
Read MoreLive the Financial Life of Your Dreams
One of my connections on LinkedIn, Samantha Russell works with the place that hosts my website, FMG Suite. They try to help financial advisors with their marketing and their websites. She does a great job and is always putting out...
Read MoreWhat the Heck is Evergrande and Should I Care?
On Monday 9/20/2021 the stock market dropped more than 600 points. I saw one headline that read S & P falls 1.7% for its worst day since May, Dow sheds 600 points. Then I started seeing articles about a Chinese real estate development...
Read MoreLife Insurance Awareness!
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. I started out the first week in Life Insurance Awareness Month with the hardest thing an insurance salesman has to do, meeting a young widow to fill out the paperwork for a death claim. I...
Read MoreAugust Market Commentary
August Recap and September Outlook The equity markets advanced during a month when the Delta variant ravaged some states, which reinvigorated flagging vaccination rates. Positive developments, such as a bi-partisan infrastructure...
Read MoreThree Questions to Ask Yourself
As naturally social creatures, relationships are essential to our everyday lives. Relationships can help us advance through our career; they can be the source of fond memories and can even help us live longer.1 But there’s one...
Read MoreMy Disability Insurance Claim
My Disability Insurance Claim August 13th, 2021 will be three years since I crashed on my bike and shattered my femur. I want to share a little bit about my experience when I filed my disability insurance claim and what has happened...
Read MoreSetting Your Retirement On Fire
Setting Your Retirement on FIRE If there’s one aspect of personal finance that people can get excited about, it’s the idea of being able to retire early. And according to research by Hearts & Wallets, one out of every six...
Read MoreHere's a Little Story 'bout a Man Named Kev
Drums, Bikes and Money I have been putting quite a bit of content out on social media lately. They say that people do business with people they know, like and trust. I doubt I can make you like me or trust in a little blog post, but...
Read MoreThinking Out Loud!
Thinking Out Loud When I left Northwestern Mutual back in 2013 it was a very stressful time for me. I had been working there for almost 22 years and suddenly I was on my own. The people at Northwestern had a team of 6 women calling all...
Read MoreIt's All About The Catch-Up!
Catch-up not Ketchup! One time, I was doing a 401k plan review meeting and I talked about the catch- up provision. Being from Roswell, N.M., I have a bit of an accent and the people in the meeting thought I said, ketchup. As I was...
Read MoreStay in May, It'll Be Okay?
Market Commentary: Stay in May, It’ll Be Okay? May Recap and June Outlook May saw strong earnings reports and a lot of optimism from consumers and businesses, but also unexpectedly high inflation data and a clear labor shortage....
Read MoreWhy is Life Insurance Advertised on TV So Cheap?
Have you seen the commercials on TV or heard advertisements on the radio saying a healthy male, aged 40 can buy a billion dollars of life insurance for only $25.00 per month? Of course I’m exaggerating, but I see a lot of ads for...
Read MoreGetting Old Sucks. Being Old & Broke Really Sucks!
Converting High Income into Lasting Wealth It’s become something of a reliable attention-getting headline that Millennials struggle to get ahead and create wealth, despite six-figure salaries, and even when there are dual incomes...
Read MoreThe Magic of Age 59 1/2 in 401(k) Plans
Age 59 ½ Age 59 ½ is an important age when it comes to retirement plans. Here’s an idea if you have attained age 59 ½ or older, you are still working and your company has a 401(k) plan. 401(k) Plan Rules...
Read MoreRetirement is About Income and Taxes
Retirement Is About Income … and Taxes You’ve figured out your budget, your retirement nest egg is substantial, and you’re ready to make the transition to living on income from savings instead of income from work....
Read MoreStop Living Paycheck to Paycheck Part 2
Last week I wrote the first part of Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck. This is part two. The first part of being able to stop living paycheck to paycheck is basically to figure out what is important to you and see where you are...
Read MoreStop Living Paycheck to Paycheck!
Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck! Here are some scary facts in the United States of America. Depending on the survey, 50% to 74% of all employees are living paycheck to paycheck. 1 in 4 families making more than $150,000 per year are...
Read MoreToo Much Life at the End of the Money!
I had heard somebody say something about too much month at the end of the money. It’s very easy to relate to it. Well, of course, there is a country music song by Marty Stuart with the same title. Here’s the link to it:...
Read MoreTax Refunds Are Bad!
Tax Refunds Are Bad! In case you didn’t know it, it’s tax season and it’s time to claim your tax refund. File early so you can get your refund back and use it to buy a new color TV. I have seen advertisements in the...
Read MoreScattered Money
Scattered Money If you’re like most people over the age of 40, you have probably had more than one job. At each of those different jobs, you had a retirement plan. Over the years people have a tendency to change jobs and in the...
Read MoreScattered Money
Scattered Money If you’re like most people over the age of 40, you have probably had more than one job. At each of those different jobs, you had a retirement plan. Over the years people have a tendency to change jobs and in the...
Read MoreScattered Money
Scattered Money If you’re like most people over the age of 40, you have probably had more than one job. At each of those different jobs, you had a retirement plan. Over the years people have a tendency to change jobs and in the...
Read MoreScattered Money
Scattered Money If you’re like most people over the age of 40, you have probably had more than one job. At each of those different jobs, you had a retirement plan. Over the years people have a tendency to change jobs and in the...
Read MoreAre We In A Bubble?
Recently, I saw a post on LinkedIn from a guy named Joshua Brown. We are not related. He’s a financial advisor in New York City and wrote a book called “The Reformed Broker”. Anyway, he puts a lot of content out,...
Read MorePoker and Planning
I am reading a book called, “The Biggest Bluff” by Maria Konnikova. The subtitle says, “How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win.” Maria Konnikova is a writer and has her PhD in psychology from...
Read MoreGameStop and Retirement Planning
Like everyone, I have seen a lot of articles and posts about the GameStop stock. I'm not going to write anything about why it happened and all of that stuff, but I did think about, what does all of this have to do with serious...
Read MoreThe World According To Kevin
I probably have the nicest clients in the world. Whenever I call to check on them or give them updates or whatever, they always ask how I’m doing. I thought I would give a little World According to Kevin, Update. Ed Slott IRA...
Read MoreThe Secret Ingredient
The Secret Ingredient When it comes to investing, people spend a lot of time talking about investment returns, asset allocation, stocks, bonds, ETFs, active investing, passive investing, etc. etc. But is there a secret ingredient? One...
Read MoreRoth IRA Conversion
The Roth IRA Conversion: Retirement Planning Tool? The Roth IRA was designed to provide tax benefits, but it’s often viewed as primarily an investment tool for younger investors. This is because there are income limits to...
Read MoreWhat Are Target Date Funds?
Target Date Funds: Is that when you save money to take out someone special? The so-called “accumulation” phase of your life is the one where you’re working and putting money aside for retirement, usually in a 401(k)...
Read MoreThings You Can Control
Control I have been reading a book called “Hey! What’s My Number” by Christopher Carosa. The book is about improving the odds that you will retire in comfort. It talks a lot about 401k plans and how to best take...
Read MoreEverything Is Different Now. Or Is It?
Everything Is Different Now. Or Is It? The month began with an election that didn’t resolve uncertainty, it generated more. From there, a seasonal surge in coronavirus positivity rates created uncertainty and fear, particularly...
Read MoreThe Future's So Bright!
What if it does work out exactly as you imagined it, or better? Entertain that thought. A woman named Idil Ahmed wrote that and somebody else posted it on LinkedIn. She has a website called idillionaire.com and she has tweeted over 64...
Read MoreThe Challenges of Inheriting Wealth
The Challenges of Inheriting Wealth Over the years that I’ve been helping people figure out their money (my whole career), one thing I’ve seen consistently is that most people seem to need a reason to hire an investment...
Read MoreMeditation and Goal Setting
Meditation and Goal Setting Every morning I wake up, make coffee and do a 10 minute meditation session using the Waking Up app from Sam Harris. I started doing this in February of 2019 and try to do it every day. I read something on...
Read MoreBicycle Racing and Financial Planning Have a Lot in Common
Bicycle Racing and Financial Planning Have A Lot In Common At first glance you probably wouldn’t think that bicycle racing and financial planning have too much in common. When you think of bike racing, you probably think of Lance...
Read MoreShould You Invest or Pay Off Debt
Should You Invest or Pay Off Debt? Recently, I wrote a piece titled, “College vs. Retirement”. After posting it on LinkedIn, one of my connections asked about my thoughts on saving versus paying off debt. I told her I would...
Read MoreHow Learning a Second Language Has Improved My Life
How Learning a Second Language has Improved My Life! I have always wanted to be fluent in Spanish. I took Spanish in middle school and I knew a few words and phrases, but I was and still am not close to being fluent. One phrase I knew...
Read MoreCollege vs. Retirement
College vs. Retirement Have you ever seen the articles discussing whether a person should pay off debt or invest? It’s a reasonable question. Maybe I’ll write about that some day soon. Here’s one that doesn’t...
Read MoreWho Should My Investment Portfolio Be Voting For?
Who Should My Investment Portfolio Be Voting For? It’s a well-known canard that “markets hate uncertainty”. And it’s pretty true, in the moment. We’ve all seen the headline-driven volatility that the stock...
Read MoreThe Sandwich Generation
The Sandwich Generation Everybody has heard about the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y and Z and now the Millennials. There’s another generation that a lot of people my age and a bit younger are finding themselves in, the Sandwich...
Read MoreIt's FAFSA Season In America!
It’s FAFSA Season in America! The leaves are turning. The nights are getting a bit nippy. It’s time to put away the shorts and bathing suits and get out the sweaters and jackets. Football season is going strong and...
Read MoreHealthcare and Wealthcare Have A Lot In Common
Healthcare and Wealthcare Have A Lot In Common You’ve probably heard the saying, “Your Health is Your Wealth”. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about my health, our budget, succession planning and...
Read MoreHow Much Is Enough?
How Much Is Enough? I read a chapter in Morgan Housel’s new book, “The Psychology of Money”. In it, he talks about how Bernie Madoff was a very successful market maker on Wall Street prior to his Ponzi scheme for...
Read More401k Plans Are A Pain in the A**!
401k Plans are a Pain in the A**! If you’re a plan sponsor of a 401k plan, at times they almost seem like they are more work than they are worth. We have a piece called 50 chores of the 401k Plan Sponsor. That sounds like fun,...
Read MoreWhat's Going To Happen?
What’s Going To Happen? I get questions from people asking, should I get out of the stock market? What do you think the market will do if Biden or Trump wins? What’s better, a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA? When do you...
Read MoreHiring a Financial Advisor in Albuquerque
What to consider when hiring a financial advisor in Albuquerque Albuquerque isn’t like anywhere else – living here has its own rhythms. But hiring a financial advisor isn’t different here; there are a set of...
Read MoreBeing Poor is Expensive!
Being Poor is Expensive I heard this term the other night when I was watching T.V. The newscaster was interviewing a woman who was running for Congress in California. She had been homeless in the past and was talking about her...
Read MoreThere's $9,200,000,000 in Savings Accounts
For Those of you keeping score, that’s 9.2 trillion dollars. I saw an article the other day that said that Americans had 9.2 trillion dollars in savings accounts. A lot of that money was in the big banks such as, Bank of America,...
Read MoreDoes Whole Life Suck?
If you have ever looked up life insurance on the internet or talked to an agent about it, you will get different opinions about whole life insurance and term insurance. Lots of financial gurus will tell you to never buy whole life and...
Read MoreBudgeting in the Y.O.Y.O. Economy
Budgeting in the Y.O.Y.O. Economy The Y.O.Y.O economy – a group of private practice owners, business owners, and people who have come into to money because of life transitions such as job changes, retirement or inheritance. The...
Read MoreGo Fund Me is Terrible Life Insurance
I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day that talked about a family using a Go Fund Me page to pay for the funeral expenses of someone who had recently passed away. This is a sad and terrible situation. While I realize every case is...
Read MoreTactics to Boost Your Retirement Savings – If You’re Over 50
How much do you need for retirement? Well, investment research firm Morningstar has a handy but somewhat scary stat: $1.18 million. Using average annual returns of 6 percent and pegging inflation at 2.5%, Morningstar calculates...
Read MoreLessons from the Pandemic: Disability Insurance
Everybody is living on the edge. I think this is one of the real lessons people have been learning from the global pandemic and the resulting economic fallout. In the financial planning world, one of the first things that is taught is...
Read MoreSmall Business Owner's Guide to the CARES ACT
As many of you know, I work with quite a few owners of private practices such as attorneys and dentists. I was looking at the New Mexico Dental Association's website and came across the Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act....
Read MoreMy 401k caught the Coronavirus
It appears my 401k plan has caught the Coronavirus. What am I supposed to do? Nobody has asked me this exact question, but I have had variations of it posed over the past two weeks. Here are a couple of ideas that might be helpful. I...
Read MoreEd Slott's IRA Workshop
I went to Ed Slott's 2 Day IRA Workshop a couple of weeks ago in San Francisco. We spent 16 hours over 2 days reviewing every page of a 400 page manual. It talked about the SECURE Act, 25 IRA rules you must know, Roth IRA strategies,...
Read MoreFebruary 18, 2020 - Weekly Gains for Big Benchmarks
The Week on Wall StreetDaily headlines about the coronavirus had little impact on stock market averages last week. Earnings and mergers had more influence. All three Wall Street benchmarks improved. The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.21%,...
Read MoreDoes a Robo Advisor Do This?
Several years ago, when I was at Northwestern Mutual, I heard Ed Slott, CPA talk at a meeting. He is America's IRA expert and has had shows on PBS talking about the best ways to save and invest in your IRA so you can have a secure...
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2020 - Stocks Bounce Back
The Week on Wall StreetStocks advanced four days out of five during the past market week, erasing the losses of the week before. The Nasdaq Composite surged 4.04%, the S&P 500 3.17%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 3.00%. Foreign...
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2020 - Equities Slip on Virus Concerns
The Week on Wall StreetStock benchmarks declined for a second straight week as coronavirus news tempered risk appetite.The S&P 500 fell 2.14% on the week. The Nasdaq Composite dipped 1.76%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 2.55%....
Read MoreWhat is the Y.O.Y.O Economy?
Several years ago, when I was at Northwestern Mutual, I heard Ed Slott, CPA talk at a meeting. He is America's IRA expert and has had shows on PBS talking about the best ways to save and invest in your IRA so you can have a secure...
Read MoreA 2020 Look at Your IRA
While most of us were enjoying the holidays, our friends in Washington were busy tinkering with traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). As you may have heard, Congress passed legislation late last year that changed the rules...
Read MoreRules Tighten on Stretch IRAs
Washington was busy this holiday season. As many of us were looking forward to some well-earned time off, new legislation was passed, and it affects some of the old rules for traditional Individual Retirement Accounts. These changes...
Read MoreJanuary 27, 2020 - Stocks End the Week Lower
The Week on Wall StreetStock prices fell last week as investors considered the potential health and economic risks of the flu-like coronavirus.Foreign stock markets, as tracked by the broad MSCI EAFE index, fell 1.03% for the week....
Read MoreJanuary 21, 2020 - Fresh Record Highs
The Week on Wall StreetTraders were in an upbeat mood last week, reacting to news out of Washington: the signing of the phase-one trade deal between the U.S. and China as well as the Senate passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement...
Read MoreJanuary 13, 2020 - Further Gains for Stocks
The Week on Wall StreetThe market had a choppy five days, with traders reacting to geopolitical developments and weaker-than-expected jobs data. Even so, the three major U.S. equity indices posted weekly gains and continued their...
Read MoreJanuary 6, 2020 - Concerns About Oil
The Week on Wall Street Stocks descended from record highs Friday, as traders reacted to a U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's top military officer. Oil prices rose more than 3% following the breaking news.[1] Wall Street benchmarks...
Read MoreDecember 30, 2019 - The Year in Review
What Drove the Markets? Four factors influenced investment performance in 2019: a shift in U.S. monetary policy, the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and China, earnings, and the economy. Stocks reached record highs in 2019. The...
Read MoreDecember 16, 2019 - Phase-One Trade Deal Reached
The Week on Wall Street The U.S. and China announced a limited trade agreement last week. That news lifted U.S. and foreign stocks, leading to weekly gains. Advancing 0.91% on the week, the Nasdaq Composite outperformed the S&P 500...
Read MoreDecember 9, 2019 - Stocks Ride Out a Choppy Week
The Week on Wall Street Key Wall Street benchmarks were up and down last week – or rather down and then up. A Tuesday retreat was offset by a Friday rally spurred by the Department of Labor’s November jobs report. While the S&P 500...
Read MoreDecember 2, 2019 - November Concludes With Gains
The Week on Wall Street As November wrapped up, U.S. equity benchmarks advanced. Stocks were again aided by a sense of optimism that a preliminary U.S.-China trade deal could be near. For the week, the Nasdaq Composite added 1.87%;...
Read MoreNovember 25, 2019 - Major Indices Move Lower
The Week on Wall Street Stocks declined last week as mixed signals emerged about the progress of U.S.-China trade negotiations. The three major Wall Street benchmarks all took weekly losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0...
Read MoreNovember 18, 2019 - A New Dow Milestone
The Week on Wall StreetStock benchmarks were little changed for much of last week, but a rally occurred Friday after news broke that the U.S. and China could be closing in on the first phase of a new trade pact. At Friday's close, the...
Read MoreNovember 11, 2019 - Dow, S&P 500 Extend Win Streaks
The Week on Wall Street Domestic and international stocks rose last week. Risk appetite outweighed concerns about the state of U.S.-China trade discussions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and MSCI EAFE...
Read MoreNovember 4, 2019 - More Historic Highs
The Week on Wall Street A better-than-forecast jobs report prompted a stock market rally Friday, two days after traders witnessed another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended the week...
Read MoreA Second Opinion and A Cup of Coffee
When the markets are as volatile and confusing as they have been over the past several years, even the most patient investors may come to question the wisdom of the investment plan they have been following. On top of that, life changes...
Read MoreOctober 28, 2019 - S&P 500 Nearly Makes History
The Week on Wall Street The S&P 500 came within 0.1% of a record close Friday. Stocks were lifted last week by positive news on U.S.-China trade negotiations, plus earnings announcements. The Nasdaq Composite posted the largest weekly...
Read MoreOctober 21, 2019 - Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 Rise
The Week on Wall Street Earnings helped give the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 a slight lift last week, offsetting investor disappointment over the small scope of the preliminary U.S.-China trade deal reached on October 11. Blue chips...
Read MoreOctober 14, 2019 - Trade Winds Move the Market
The Week on Wall Street Stock prices pushed higher last week, as investors remained hyper-focused on any new developments with the U.S. trade negotiations with China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 0.91%, while the...
Read MoreOctober 7, 2019 - Special Update: Quarterly Report
The Week on Wall Street The fourth quarter started with a mixed week for equities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.92% for the week; the S&P 500, 0.33%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite improved 0.54%. Overseas stocks pulled...
Read MoreSeptember 30, 2019 - Benchmarks End Week Lower
The Week on Wall Street Stocks retreated last week. Traders worried that the formal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump might distract White House officials from their pursuit of a trade deal with China, and shift the focus...
Read MoreSeptember 23, 2019 - Stocks Stage a Modest Retreat
The Week on Wall Street Investors reacted to two major news items last week, one far more of a surprise than the other. The Federal Reserve did indeed make a rate cut, matching Wall Street expectations. Drone strikes on two of the...
Read MoreSeptember 16, 2019 - Dow Logs 8-Day Win Streak
The Week on Wall Street Stocks edged toward all-time peaks during a relatively calm week marked by easing trade tensions. Friday marked the eighth straight daily advance for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.[1] Small-cap shares, as...
Read MoreSeptember 9, 2019 - Dow, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Advance
The Week on Wall Street Stocks rose last week, with help from two developments: the announcement of further U.S.-China trade talks as well as August hiring and manufacturing numbers that seemed to bolster the argument for a rate cut...
Read MoreSeptember 3, 2019 - Stocks Rally as August Ends
The Week on Wall Street Fears of an impasse in the U.S.-China trade dispute lessened last week. While additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports were scheduled to take effect on September 1, China's government communicated that it...
Read MoreAugust 26, 2019 - China Announces More Tariffs
The Week on Wall Street Traders assumed that the week's biggest news event would be Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at the annual Jackson Hole banking conference. Instead, China seized the headlines by announcing new...
Read MoreAugust 19, 2019 - Equities Face Some Volatility
The Week on Wall Street U.S. stock indices saw significant ups and downs last week, with traders looking for economic cues from Treasury yields and also developments in the tariff fight between the U.S. and China. The S&P 500 lost 1...
Read MoreAugust 12, 2019 - Trade Tensions Affect Stocks
The Week on Wall Street Stocks spent much of last week rebounding from a Monday drop that reflected nervousness about the U.S.-China trade fight. By Thursday's closing bell, the S&P 500 had regained all its Monday losses - but it...
Read MoreAugust 5, 2019 - Fed Cuts Rates, Stocks Retreat
The Week on Wall Street Last week, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in more than a decade, in line with Wall Street's expectations. Ironically, stocks had their worst week of 2019. The S&P 500 finished the...
Read MoreJuly 29, 2019 - S&P & Nasdaq Outgain Dow
The Week on Wall Street Last week, investors assessed earnings and the initial estimate of second-quarter economic growth, while awaiting the Federal Reserve's next announcement about interest rates. Stocks rose for the week;...
Read MoreJuly 22, 2019 - Stocks Descend from Recent Peaks
The Week on Wall Street Stock benchmarks retreated during the first week of the second-quarter earnings season. As some big names shared quarterly results, investors seemed more interested in what might happen at the Federal Reserve's...
Read MoreJuly 15, 2019 - S&P 500 Tops 3,000
The Week on Wall Street Friday, the S&P 500 settled above 3,000 for the first time, after rising 0.78% for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average chalked up a milestone of its own: the blue chips ended the week above 27,000,...
Read MoreJuly 8, 2019 - Special Update: Quarterly Report
The Week on Wall Street U.S. stock benchmarks opened a new quarter positively. The S&P 500 gained 1.65% in the opening week of July; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 1.21%; the Nasdaq Composite, 1.94%. Overseas, stocks in developed...
Read MoreJuly 1, 2019 - Down Week Ends Strong Month
The Week on Wall Street A month of gains for stocks ended with a weekly retreat. The S&P 500 lost 0.30%; the Nasdaq Composite, 0.32%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 0.45%. In contrast, overseas shares, tracked by the MSCI EAFE...
Read MoreJune 24, 2019 - Stocks Touch Record Highs
The Week on Wall Street The S&P 500 hit an all-time peak of 2,964.03, in intraday trading Friday, while improving 2.20% across five market days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite posted respective, 5-day advances...
Read MoreJune 17, 2019 - Further June Gains
The Week on Wall Street Stocks advanced for a second straight week. The S&P 500 benchmark rose 0.47%; the Nasdaq Composite, 0.70%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 0.41%. Overseas shares, as tracked by the MSCI EAFE developed markets...
Read MoreJune 10, 2019 - Big Gains for the Major Indices
The Week on Wall Street Stocks rallied during a week in which Wall Street was buffeted by headlines. The S&P 500 rose 4.41%. The Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average respectively added 3.88% and 4.71%. The MSCI EAFE index...
Read MoreJune 3, 2019 - May Ends with a Retreat
The Week on Wall Street Stocks struggled during a 4-day market week as the U.S.-China trade standoff continued to weigh on the minds of market participants. From the Friday, May 24 close to the Friday, May 31 close, the S&P 500...
Read MoreMay 28, 2019 - Trade Tensions Linger
The Week on Wall StreetStocks drifted lower last week as investors considered the possibility that the world's two largest economies might take some time to resolve key trade issues. The S&P 500 retreated 1.17%; the Nasdaq Composite,...
Read MoreMay 20, 2019 - Trade News Moves the Market
The Week on Wall Street Stocks fell sharply at the start of last week over trade tensions, then recovered with help from strong earnings and indications that U.S.-China trade talks would continue. Even so, the major indices had a down...
Read MoreMay 13, 2019 - Higher Tariffs Take Effect
The Week on Wall Street As we noted recently, Wall Street has a wandering eye. Last week, it focused on the new tariff threats in the ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute. Stocks fell across five trading sessions: the Dow Jones Industrial...
Read MoreMay 6, 2019 - Major Indices Have a Mixed Week
The Week on Wall Street Stocks were up and down last week, and the three major benchmarks ended up little changed after five trading days. The S&P 500 rose 0.20% for the week; the Nasdaq Composite, 0.22%. The Dow Jones Industrial...
Read MoreApril 29, 2019 - S&P 500 Reaches a New Peak
The Week on Wall Street Stocks returned to record territory, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite closing at historic highs. The S&P gained 1.20% for the week; the Nasdaq, 1.85%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged,...
Read MoreApril 22, 2019 - A Mild Week for the Market
The Week on Wall Street A short and relatively placid trading week wrapped up Thursday, with the major indices turning in mixed performances. The S&P 500 retreated 0.08%, the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.17%, and the Dow Jones...
Read MoreApril 15, 2019 - The Q1 Earnings Season Begins
The Week on Wall Street Stocks broke out of a narrow range on Friday following news that two major banks grew their bottom line in the first quarter. For the week, the S&P 500 rose 0.79%; the Nasdaq Composite, 0.91%. The Dow Jones...
Read MoreApril 8, 2019 - Special Update: Quarterly Report
The Week on Wall Street Stocks just posted their second straight weekly gain. Investors were encouraged by the latest jobs report and new signs of progress on a U.S.-China trade deal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.17% in...
Read MoreApril 1, 2019 - Gains Conclude a Great Quarter
The Week on Wall Street Stocks ended last week higher as volatility slowed, completing their best quarter since 2009. A Friday tweet from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin encouraged investors, referring to "constructive" discussions...
Read MoreMarch 25, 2019 - Treasury Yields Prompt Concerns
The Week on Wall Street Friday, the yield of the 3-month Treasury bill exceeded the yield of the 10-year Treasury note for the first time in 12 years. For some analysts, this "inverted yield curve" may imply a short-term lessening of...
Read MoreMarch 18, 2019 - Dow, S&P, Nasdaq All Rise
The Week on Wall Street The big story last week was the sudden grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 passenger jets in dozens of countries. The financial effects of this ban could potentially impact the airline industry and segments of...
Read MoreMarch 11, 2019 - Stocks Dip on Growth Concerns
The Week on Wall Street As in February, investors spent most of the first full trading week of March hoping for new details in U.S.-China trade negotiations. While they waited, stock benchmarks drifted downward. From Monday's open to...
Read MoreMarch 4, 2019 - S&P Ends Week Little Changed
The Week on Wall Street Stocks lost a little ground as February gave way to March. While domestic and overseas political developments made headlines, the market stayed relatively calm: from Monday's open through Friday's close, the...
Read MoreFebruary 25, 2019 - Optimism Spurs a Broad Rally
The Week on Wall Street Stocks rallied last week as optimism about a potential U.S.-China trade deal grew. The S&P 500 advanced 0.80% during the 4-day trading week to 2,792.67. The Nasdaq Composite improved 0.86% to 7,527.54, and the...
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions About the Financial Planning Process
A personalized financial plan can provide a powerful tool in helping you take action toward reaching your goals. For many, working through the financial planning process for the first time will be the best step they could take toward...
Read MoreJohnny Depp Reportedly Spends Two Million A Month (30,000 on wine alone)
Johnny Depp Reportedly Spends $2 Million A Month ($30,000 on wine alone) Money comes and money goes. The trick in life is to control what’s going out the door — no matter how much you’re making. Though hard to...
Read MoreHow To Quit It All
How Much Money Do You Need to Quit and Sail Away? No, Seriously.You wake up. Go to work. Get home. Repeat. For many, it feels like being stuck in a hamster wheel. What if you decided to call it quits and retire early? For those who...
Read MoreGateway Financial Advisors Now Offers Comprehensive Financial Planning and eMoney Software!
Just as the markets evolve over time, so do our planning strategies and financial needs. Even though I’ve been in the finance world for more than three decades, I am constantly looking to further my knowledge, adjust service...
Read MoreThree Financial Reminders for Tax Season
Tax season is here! This may not be everyone’s favorite time of year, but taxes are a necessary evil we must contend with. Many people procrastinate on tasks they dread, and if you are like one-third of Americans, you wait until...
Read MoreSaving the Most By Getting to Zero
How much money will you actually have to retire on? Most people rely on the assumption and expectation that the plans for retirement put in place for them will be enough to live in luxury in their golden years. They contribute the...
Read MoreFour Financial Resolutions You Can Keep
As a financial advisor, I focus on four different areas for my clients: Protection, Accumulation, Income, and Legacy (PAIL). In the spirit of the new year and my favorite acronym, here are four financial resolutions to help guide you...
Read MoreIs a SIMPLE IRA Right For Your Business?
Small business owners or other self-employed individuals face challenges in providing benefits that larger corporations do not. One of those difficulties lies in offering a retirement plan for their employees. Employer-sponsored...
Read MoreHow To Get Long-Term Care Coverage With A Guaranteed Return
Did you know that 70% of people turning 65 today will need long-term care at some point in their life? Long-term care isn’t just for the elderly, though. In 2000, over two-thirds of the people requiring some form of long-term...
Read MoreMake An Appointment Now to Update Your Financial Plan in January
January is known as a time of fresh starts, new goals, and renewed motivation. Often, New Year’s resolutions lead people to purchase gym memberships, pledge to read more, or spend more time with family and friends, but have you...
Read MoreThank You for a Great 2016!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I want to take a moment to thank you for an amazing year in 2016. I'm thankful for each of my clients and the trust they’ve put in me. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see so many of...
Read MoreHow Will the Election Results Affect the Market?
After a tumultuous and dramatic election season, the results are in. This election was certainly one for the history books. Because both polls and markets had expected a Clinton victory, the markets are reeling from the surprise...
Read MoreShould I Rollover My Old Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan?
Gone are the days when Americans would stay in the same job for the majority of their working lives. The recent trend, especially among the Millennial Generation, is to transition from job to job at an alarming rate. In 2014, the...
Read MoreWho Can Contribute to an IRA? Answer: Everyone
Since their inception in 1974, Individual Retirement Accounts, or IRAs, have become wildly popular. About 40 million US households, or 32%, owned at least one type of IRA as of mid-2015. By the end of that year, IRA assets totaled $7.3...
Read MoreWhat Does P.A.I.L. Mean to You?
If you have been around me for any amount of time you have probably heard of the acronym PAIL. If you are new around here, you’re probably wondering what in the world I’m talking about. It’s my goal to help you...
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