Election Day is over. The sun rose the following morning. The stock market did not crash. So our attention has turned back to the pandemic. A second wave of the virus is surging across the nation. To wit, I was hospitalized (non-COVID) in June at the University of...
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Hang in There, Things Will Get Better
Several weeks ago, I (virtually) attended the Vanguard Advisor Symposium. Sidebar: One of the unexpected silver linings to the COVID pandemic has been access to great meetings without the hassle and expense of air travel and hotels. The event kicked off with a...
Risky Business
Why do we talk so much about risk assessment? The financial markets are always reacting to a variety of global events and this volatility can be unnerving for individual investors, especially if investing without first understanding one’s personal risk profile. So,...
Silver and Gold!
"Silver and Gold! Silver and Gold! How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on Earth!" - Sam the Snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer I can’t help but think about Cornelius the prospector from the Rudolph movie when people ask about...
What Should I Do With My Money? It Depends…
From the perspective of personal financial planning, the answer to many of life’s complexities is, “It depends.” Of course, we all prefer black and white answers to important questions. But “It depends” fails to give us any certainty of outcomes. Here are some common...
Basic Investing Building Block #3
How can you reduce investment risk? Diversification! Diversification in investing is a technique whereby you allocate your money in different financial instruments, industries, etc. By doing so you reduce your risk by limiting your exposure to any single company....
How Will the Presidential Election Impact My Financial Plan?
Consider these election headlines: “Should you hoard cash before the election?" "This election could help make or break your retirement." "The nastiest election of our lifetime." "A Trump win will tank the market.” Were these headlines published last week? No, they...
5 Tips to Prepare for Market Turbulence
Many investors are switching their concerns from the coronavirus to the stock market. If the resurgent virus forces a new economic shutdown, and if everyone is forced to stay-at-home again, will the stock market take another 30% hit? Of course, the bottom line is: “No...
Use the Pandemic as a Test Drive for Retirement
Unless you are an essential worker, you have probably spent most of the last three months sheltering in place at home during the COVID pandemic. If you are a sales or client service worker, or consultant, or computer-based worker, or the like, it was probably fairly...
Basic Investing Building Block #2
Investing can be complicated to the average “Joe or JoAnn.” However, having just the simplest knowledge of what it is and how it works can help you manage your money with confidence. Let’s break it down in a way that makes it easier to understand. This is the...