Weekly Insights

How to Say No to Your Kids without Making Them Feel Deprived

12/26/17

Teaching your kids or grandkids about the virtues of delayed gratification, while empowering them to make their own spending decisions, is key to a healthy financial life as an adult.

How Hiking Pikes Peak is like Long Term Investing

12/18/17

For a successful hike, you need quality equipment and training to improve your stamina while planning for the unexpected. That sounds a lot like good financial planning, and your continued focus and dedication can ultimately help you reach your “peak” goals.

Key Questions For Long-Term Investor

12/11/17

These astute questions for experienced and novice investors alike illuminate the importance of diversification, tuning out unhelpful media “noise” and managing investment costs as well as investor behavior through the inevitable ups and downs of the stock market.

Importance of Staying Invested

12/04/17

This chart shows what happened over the past 10 years to those who stayed invested during the Great Recession, those who got out of the market for a year, and those who panicked and went to cash. We can’t control what markets will do, but we can control our reactions.

How to Make Charitable Donations Really Count

11/27/17

This time of year, many of us reach out to our favorite charities for our end-of-the-year donations. Here are several smart recommendations to optimize your gifts so your philanthropic investment can make a bigger impact.

You Just Doubled Your Money if You Invested at the 2007 Peak Market

11/20/17

Investors who bought at the market peak in ‘07 lost nearly half their investment during the Great Recession. But if they weathered the storm they just about doubled their money with the S&P’s cumulative gain of 98% over the past 10 years.

Making Sense of Markets Headlines Video

11/13/17

This week we feature the second video from last week's post, focusing on last quarter's market headlines & events.

Making Sense of Markets Performance Video

11/06/17

Last quarter’s video updates examine various performance data in both domestic and international markets, ways to improve investing behavior and some guidelines for us to use in our next review meeting.

How Successful People Spend Their Weekends

10/23/17

Think working long hours will help you be more successful? You may be surprised to learn that changing your “all-work” attitude can help your productivity. Learning to embrace relaxing activities on the weekends is vital to your wellbeing.

Best and Worst Days in the Stock Market Since October 19, 1987

10/16/17

Financial markets ebb and flow. This chart is a prime example of how bad days in the market can often be followed by great days — and how impossible it is to predict when each is coming.

A Crash Course in Long-Term Care

10/09/17

Most of us don’t want to think about what changes might be in store for us when it comes to our health. But having the facts and being prepared just in case you are faced with a long-term care situation can help take the pressure off.

The Equifax Breach: What You Need to Do Now

10/02/17

The Equifax security breach has left millions wondering, “How compromised is my personal data?” Learn effective ways to proactively protect your information, like opening your mail to check for signs of fraud and updating online passwords.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

9/25/17

Is it possible to predict success? Former teacher and psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth explores the idea that talent and high IQ don’t necessarily result in successful outcomes.

Spending Money to Save Time

9/18/17

How much do you enjoy running errands or cleaning your house? In our increasingly busy lives there appears to be a positive trade-off between spending money and saving valuable time. Each of us need to answer that age-old question: What is my time worth?

How to Make Good Emotional Investments

9/11/17

Investors are not often rational creatures. Research explores how some investment decisions ruled by our “wants” rather than what’s considered good for us allow us the freedom we crave and help to balance our financial and non-financial desires.

Getting What You Don't Pay For

9/04/17

There are always important costs to examine when investing. Just as you might closely study the upkeep costs for a house or a car, paying attention to things like fund expense ratios and taxes can pay off considerably.

Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!

8/28/17

They say patience is a virtue. And though we know that intellectually, it can be hard to apply. It is extremely difficult to predict when the “right” time to buy or sell is.

Making Sense of Markets Headlines Video

8/21/17

The second video we have this quarter takes a step back to reflect on broader investing and economic trends. Perhaps the best takeaway is that investors should always try to keep a long-term perspective and not overreact to whatever the latest headlines reveal.

Nine of the Best Places to Watch the Solar Eclipse

8/14/17

August 21st, the first solar eclipse viewable in the contiguous U.S. since 1979, will be in full view in many states from Oregon to South Carolina. Historically, an eclipse was thought to be an omen of things to come, providing fuel for the superstitious.

Making Sense of Markets Performance Video

8/07/17

This quarter we have two videos for you. This week's video explores what happened in global markets last quarter as well as other pertinent economic news.

The Summer Reading Guide: New Arrivals Plus the Classics that Will Never Do You Wrong

7/31/17

Did you know that reading could help melt away stress, increase vocabulary, and boost brainpower? Beat the heat by pouring something cool to drink and settling in to read that hot bestseller or classic book you never got through in college.

7/24/17

You might feel perceptive, but there are few predictable outcomes when it comes to the stock market. What’s a responsible investor to do? Tailor a well-diversified portfolio in order to help keep you on the right track toward your goals.

So That's Why! Saving Money Isn't in Our Genes

7/17/17

There may be a biological reason why it’s hard to save money. It turns out our minds were never wired to plan for future events. Back in prehistoric times, “success” was surviving another day, not planning to live to 95 or beyond!

Don't Delay

7/10/17

The power of compounding can be paramount to any successful investment plan. If you put off investing until a later date, you risk having to invest much more money to counteract the effects of not investing sooner.

5 Places Deal-Savvy Travelers Should Visit in 2017

6/26/17

Your idea of the perfect vacation might be to bask on the beaches of Hawaii or jet off to Paris, but there are many sometimes-overlooked, and just as exotic, places to explore than the usual vacation fare.

Your Funds: Have You Got a Cash Creep Problem?

6/19/17

Cash creep can erode your portfolio returns if you aren’t careful. Don’t fall victim to sitting on uninvested cash while waiting for the “right time to invest.”

So You're Telling Me There's a Chance

6/12/17

The S&P’s Index vs. Active report, which illuminates how well active managers have done compared to their respective benchmarks, shows that over the last 15 years, very few managers across nine asset classes have been able to outperform.

Investing Is Emotional

6/05/17

By allowing our emotions to rule ill-advised investment decisions, we may find ourselves at the mercy of the potential short-term erratic movements of the markets. One way to feel more “in control” is to identify your risk tolerance.

The Most Important Component of True Family Wealth

5/22/17

Help to create a legacy beyond money and investments by fostering ways to share important family stories, values and “meaningful work” with future generations.

5 Personal Finance Tips from Warren Buffett

5/15/17

Understanding the power of compounding and price versus value are just some of the smart financial tips from the “Oracle of Omaha.”

Steps to Stop You Passing Bad Money Habits on to Your Kids

5/08/17

Having simple, open conversations with young children about money and good spending habits can help shape a healthy financial future for them.

My Worst Financial Mistake

5/01/17

Learn how to avoid common financial missteps from investors who’ve made classic mistakes, and hear what they would’ve done differently.

Latte Factor Calculator

4/24/17

That $5 a day coffee habit (or other unchecked, minor expenses) could potentially cost you thousands over a 10-year period. You’ll never look at your Starbuck’s expenditures the same way again.

How to Help Your Parents Protect Their Money

4/17/17

Simplifying financial accounts, drafting powers of attorney and assigning a financial “wingman” are just some of the precautions you can take to help protect loved ones’ hard-earned savings.

The "Long Run" for Investing Is Longer Than You Think

4/10/17

Your definition of “long term” may be vastly different than what financial experts think. Ensure your investing time horizon is realistic for your life goals.

Skittles Chart

4/03/17

Different asset classes may outperform one year and then not the next, illustrating the randomness of returns and the potential benefits of a globally-diversified portfolio.

7 Ways to Know Whether to Remodel Your Home or Sell it

3/27/17

Perhaps you’ve outgrown your home or are just looking for a refreshing change. Learn what choices may be the most beneficial and the least stressful for you, all while keeping within a realistic budget.

This One Academic Concept Could Improve Your Investment Decisions

3/20/17

Understanding how and why we make certain decisions can help us make more informed choices that may lead us down a better — and more rational — investing path.

Top 7 Most Common Financial Mistakes

3/13/17

Think twice before you buy that daily cappuccino or pay for monthly subscriptions you hardly use. Saving a few dollars a day while avoiding unproductive debt can make a real difference over time.

Time in the Market Matters

3/06/17

This chart succinctly illustrates why thinking “long term” about your portfolio may be important, no matter what the markets are doing in any given 12-month period.

8 New Year's Resolutions That Will Save You Thousands of Dollars

2/27/17

These aren’t your typical resolutions but you may be inspired to shape up in a whole new way.

529 vs. Roth IRA: Which Is Best for College Savings?

2/20/17

Both plans can help you save for college while giving you tax breaks, allowing your money to go even farther. Learn which option may work best for you.

How to Organize Your Financial Documents

2/13/17

Whether you think of yourself as a minimalist or a bit of a packrat, these ideas can help you get a handle on your financial paperwork and electronic documents and statements.

Do All-Time Highs Mean Overvalued Markets?

2/06/17

We worry when markets are low and then we worry when markets are high. But a little understanding can help ease the worry and keep us focused on the long-term potential of markets to reward patient investors.

12 Talks to Inspire New Year's Resolutions

1/30/17

Need a little inspiration to jumpstart your new year? These TEDTalks offer compelling messages and will be sure to inspire, motivate and warm your heart on these cold winter days.

6 Ways to Speed Up Your Wi-Fi at Home

1/23/17

Juice up your home internet speed and capabilities with these six great tricks for better service and speedier communications. Learn how purchasing new hardware and repositioning your router can make a big difference.

Rebalancing Matters

1/16/17

Rebalancing your portfolio periodically to maintain your chosen allocation (mix of stocks and bonds) is one of the most proactive things you can do to help ensure your risk tolerance stays consistent, while helping to eliminate volatility.

Investor Return Versus Total Return

1/09/17

Staying true to your long-term plan can be challenging during volatile markets. But as this study shows, chasing returns can lead to unwanted expenses and confirmed losses — not an ideal way to plan for a secure financial future.