Estate planning can be difficult, time consuming, and incredibly confusing. Estate planning can also be
simple, efficient, and straightforward. The answer partly depends on individual situations and feelings
toward the process. Sometimes the first description is what people hear or are told. That description can
be daunting and scary. People runaway from daunting and scary things. Thus, it is not a surprise that
many people do not have proper estate planning in place.
Investment Strategy Review
After the 2022 first-half investment performance, it is normal for investors to want to reevaluate their investment plan. Losses never feel good. It does not matter if the loss involves your favorite sports team, playing board games with your family/friends, or just seeing investment values decrease. However, we cannot say they are surprising. Losses are part of these events (is there a person reading this that has never lost in board games?
Long-Term Investors – Recession Investing
“Think of the markets’ force as a raging river. Any experienced rafting guide will tell you not to fight the rapids. You’re better off charting your course, adapting incrementally and not oversteering.” -David Booth Recession Investing for Long-Term Investors Investing for the long-term requires ignoring short-term noise. Part of that noise is the inundation of frequent recession predictions and subsequent calls to bail on investing. For long-term investors, recessions are part of the deal. There is no way to avoid them. For better or for worse, long-term investors are company owners during good and bad times.
How to Minimize Investment Regret: Asset Allocation
“A genius is the man who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind.” – NapoleonSolution to Minimizing Future Regret: Asset AllocationMarket prices continue to be volatile. Every day seems like a big news day. Every day seems to have big price movements. Because of the volatility, investors are asking these types of questions: Have prices hit their low point? Are prices going to fall further? If they bounce back up, how fast and how high? If they fall, how fast and how low? Many questions with few exact answers. Only in hindsight can …
How to Respond to Market Volatility
Next step courage: Ability to not feel pressure of trying to complete the entire journey. It’s for a few seconds finding courage to overcome self-doubt before taking the next step. – Shane ParrishMarket Price MovementsTurbulence can be annoying. When it happens unexpectedly, even more so. The airline industry knows this well. There is a reason the pilot comes over the speaker to prepare passengers. It’s not that the pilots need the passenger’s help in navigating the bad weather. It is about managing expectations. It is about providing a better customer experience. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Most …
Interest Rates: What is Happening?
This is the question that is on everyone’s mind. For savers and borrowers alike, interest rates are a key topic of discussion and a central ingredient of the economy. Should borrowers try and lock-in the loan at today’s rates? Should investors buy that bond at today’s rate? Before we get into more detail about interest rates, we think it is helpful to quickly review a few bigger items to keep in mind.Starting Line DiscussionsWe discuss your investment horizon quite frequently in our communications. The purpose is to establish base case scenarios for expectations related to cash flow and to investment …
Investing During International Conflict
First off, the idea that we can spend time discussing portfolio performance in a time when human lives are at stake is a fortunate position to be in. Lives will not only be lost, but many more lives will be changed forever. We are thankful for our safety, but also aware that many are not as lucky. Unfortunately, this is our current reality.Regarding investments, we think the following four points help clarify our thoughts as we continue to live in this uncertainty. It is natural for everyone to go into sensory overload when conflict strikes. What investors must be careful …
What is Going on with Inflation?
We have spoken about inflation the last few months. As expected, the topic continues to drive many conversations. Much like other investment decisions, the inflation data is only the start of the process. Just as consequential is the reaction to the data.Federal Reserve Goal Conducting monetary policy is one of the five key functions of the Federal Reserve System. Monetary policy is defined as “ promoting maximum employment and stable prices in the U.S. economy”.1 Both maximum employment and stable prices have an element of subjectivity. What is the correct employment number? What is the desired stable price? What is the …
Is Supply Chain Going Back to 2019?
Time is asymmetrical and flows in only one direction: forward. British astrophysicist, Arthur Eddington, developed this concept of “one-way” direction. He illustrated this concept by using an arrow. If by following the arrow you see more randomness, the arrow is pointed towards the future. If the arrow becomes less random, the arrow is pointed towards the past. This one-way direction also says something else. As each moment passes, things change. Once these changes happen, they are never completely undone. Some physicists have spent their careers researching this concept. Coincidentally, we see this concept all around our everyday life. Houses are …
The Illusion of Certainty
Every day is a gift. At the same time, we realize that every day carries a certain amount of uncertainty, good or bad. Being at peace each day while living in an uncertain world is something we probably all try to achieve. Read All