A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision
Whether through inertia or trepidation, investors who put off important investment decisions might consider the admonition offered by motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.” This investment inaction is played out in many ways, often silently, invisibly, and with potential consequences to an individual’s future financial security. Let’s […]
ViewInvesting with Your Heart
Some individuals believe that return on investment shouldn’t be the only criterion for how they invest their money. For them, the social impact of investing is just as important – perhaps more important. The history of socially responsible investing stretches as far back as the mid-18th century, but its more modern form began taking shape […]
ViewGetting a Head Start on College Savings
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the cost of raising a child to the age of 17 for a middle-income family will be about $285,000. That’s approaching the median value of a new home in the U.S.1,2 If you want to add the cost of education to that number, you can expect to be paying […]
ViewAll Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal
The city of Detroit emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. Still, its previous inability to pay investors left some questioning their long-held assumption about the relative safety of municipal bonds. Without question, in the wake of Detroit’s troubles, gaining a better understanding of municipal bonds makes more sense than ever.1 At their most basic level, there […]
ViewRebalancing Your Portfolio
Everyone loves a winner. If an investment is successful, most people naturally want to stick with it. But is that the best approach? It may sound counterintuitive, but it may be possible to have too much of a good thing. Over time, the performance of different investments can shift a portfolio’s intent – and its […]
ViewEstimating the Cost of College
It doesn’t take a degree in finance to see that the cost of college continues to rise. In its 2021 report, the College Board showed that in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions increased by 9% in inflation-adjusted dollars between the 2011-12 and 2021-22 school years.1 For many families, the lion’s share of education […]
ViewInvestment Challenges of the Affluent Investor
High net worth investors face investment challenges that some would consider unique to their financial status. The fundamental tenets of investing apply equally to them as with any other investor, but the affluent investor needs to be mindful of issues that typically arise only from substantial wealth. Let’s examine a few of these. Being Too […]
ViewPullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets
When the market drops, some investors lose perspective that downtrends and uptrends are part of the investing cycle. When stock prices break lower, it’s a good time to review common terms that are used to describe the market’s downward momentum. Pullbacks. A pullback represents the mildest form of a selloff in the markets. You might […]
ViewMutual Funds vs. ETFs
The growth of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has been explosive. In 2006, there were less than 1,000; by 2023, there were nearly 10,000 investing in a wide range of stocks, bonds, and other securities and instruments.1 At first glance, ETFs have a lot in common with mutual funds. Both offer shares in a pool of investments […]
ViewInflation & Your Money
“If the current annual inflation rate is 3 percent, why do my bills seem like they’re 10 percent higher than last year?”1 Many of us ask ourselves that question, and it illustrates the importance of understanding how inflation is reported and how it can affect investments. What Is Inflation? Inflation is defined as an upward […]
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