Halftime Report 2021
2021 has been a historic year for the economy and stock market. Economic activity is recovering at a once-in-a-lifetime pace, financial markets are grinding higher and inflation, which has been subdued for decades, is heating up. As we look toward the second half of the year, here are 5 issues to consider:
Essential Market Insights
Want to nerd out with us on market details? We've got you covered here. Check out the latest analysis, including all the charts and details on our perspective.
2021 Retirement Confidence Survey
Will your retirement dreams match your reality? That's perhaps the most critical question to ask of people who are currently retired. Here are some highlights from the 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey that might surprise you.
What In The World Are NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have been the recipient of the latest buzz. Like any collectible there is a risk of using NFTs as an investment tool. What are they? Here's the scoop.
Q2 Outlook: Inflation, Interest Rates and Taxes
If you're curious about how Inflation, Interest Rates and Taxes might affect the markets, this one is for you. Get into the details with these 5 Insights from our Q2 2021 Outlook.
How the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package Impacts Investors
With the latest $1.9 trillion stimulus package now signed into law, over $5 trillion has been authorized over the past year. How does this massive new stimulus package impact investors? Here are 3 key insights.
Focus On Years Instead Of Days And Weeks
How everyday investors react to uncertainty is often more important than what they are reacting to. There is often a disconnect between perception and reality when it comes to market behavior. Here's why you should focus on years instead of days or weeks.
The Internet vs Wall Street
Although recent headlines are eye-catching and could have some implications for market dynamics, they are not the primary driver of investor returns. Here are three things ignored by these exciting headlines to provide perspective.
2021 Outlook
For investors, the new year is a time to reflect on the lessons of the past twelve months. As we begin 2021, here are 7 important lessons and insights for the coming year to help you maintain perspective.
Election 2020: Biden's Policy Initiatives
With several major news groups projecting Joe Biden to be the winner of the presidential election, now is a good time review what type of legislative support would be needed to pass certain campaign proposals.
Post Election Perspective
After a heated campaign, the presidential election now has a projected winner. Roughly half of the country disagrees with this choice and there are already legal battles in key states. Regardless of one's political views, however, this additional clarity has keep the stock market moving forward, but where does the conversation go from here?
How Do Presidential Elections Affect the Stock Market?
How do presidential elections affect the stock market? Should investors fear either party winning the White House? Is it best to sit on the sidelines until the dust settles? Check out this blog post for answers to these questions and more.
What Are Stock Splits?
Two high-profile companies—Apple and Tesla—have announced stock splits in the past few weeksIn this post we discuss what’s involved when a company announces a stock split.
What's The Deal With Medicare?
If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably been thinking about your health quite a bit lately — especially if you’re approaching retirement. Anticipating your future medical costs can feel daunting. When it comes to your health, Medicare may be an important part of your retirement strategy. Read on for details.
Don’t Let Headlines Get You Down
Even in “normal” times, the news can be depressing. But these days, it can seem like there’s an awful lot to worry about. It’s easy to get gloomy reading/watching the news day in and day out. But if you look for good news, there’s a lot to be encouraged by. Here are some recent examples.
How To Add 10 Years To Your Life
Tired of the "Bad News" news cycle? The relentless headlines and sound bites can cause anxiety and negatively impact our general outlook. It's time to turn off the news and incorporate these 4 practices to boost your optimism and maybe add years to your life.
Travel, Without The Baggage
Air travel is stressful. While some stress may be unavoidable, dealing with stress from luggage check-in and baggage claim can be reduced. Here are 5 simple strategies that may help you make next getaway with only carry-on luggage.
Essential Phone Apps
Apps. We all love ‘em and there are millions available, but most aren't worth your attention. In this post, we've highlighted 5 that we’ve tested, regularly use and approve to help you get better organized, stay secure, save important info, and efficiently manage your finances.
Emotional Investing
The US markets have been setting records recently and are sitting near all time highs at the time of this post. Are you excited or concerned? Either way, if you’re led by your emotions when investing, you will more than likely fail.
Why Process Matters
If you’ve ever wondered why a molehill turned into a mountain on a simple task, it could be due to lack of process. Having a process makes tasks not only efficient, but in most instances, a process can create desired outcomes. If you want to simplify the Essential things in your life, whatever they may be, then continue reading about how a process can save you more time.
National Preparedness Month
September is officially National Preparedness Month, and it is no coincidence that this national awareness month takes place during peak hurricane season. As I am writing this, tropical storm Gordon is quickly approaching the Gulf Coast. Even if you don’t live near the coast, it’s Essential that you and your family are prepared for emergencies. Follow these easy steps to get started!
The Essential Planning Approach
Have you ever looked back the last 10 years and wondered how you got there? How you connected all the dots to make everything happen? You’re not alone! In today’s fast-paced world months and even years can blow by without a notice. As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”
The Essential Planning Approach will help you plan for success.
Essentialism 2.0
We're discussing Essentialism (again!) but this time we unpack it and take a more in depth look at how the Disciplined Pursuit of Less can impact your personal life.
Say "no" to good things; go big on THE great thing...
Four Budget Essentials
A budget is essential to attaining and maintaining a work-optional lifestyle. Hidden expenditures can potentially snowball into unwanted debt pushing your goals further away. Be sure to include these four items to your budget every year!
The four expenses are...
Critical Financial Events
Critical Financial Events are any event that could potentially render a financial plan useless. These life events can be good, bad, or neutral. In this post we outline what they are and the steps we take to help our clients avoid these pitfalls.
Critical Financial Events are...
Frequently Asked Questions
When we visit with the families we serve or those who’ve been introduced to us, there are a few common questions that always come up. To provide clarity, below are the answers to the four most frequently asked questions we receive.
The first question is...
Bank Card Fraud
Have you ever found a charge on one of your bank cards that wasn’t yours? Well, one of our team recently did, and this post gives you the process you should use to get your money back! We also outline a few strategies to being alerted as soon as the fraudulent charge happens.
Here is the process...
Mother's Day Gift Ideas
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you struggle every year to find that perfect gift for your mother, grandmother, or spouse then this article is for you! Below is a list of the best items we’ve seen over the years to help you find that perfect gift.
Here are the 12 gift ideas...
Spring Cleaning
Spring is here and it's one of our favorites. Everything snaps back to life, including things around the house. We have you covered with this list of six essential spring cleaning tips from our podcast, and there's even you can do from the couch!
Here are the six spring cleaning must-dos...
Essentialism
If you have visited my office, you have probably seen a copy of the book Essentialism on my desk. This book has been pivotal in helping me discover where my highest point of contribution should be. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
Here is how essentialism can make an impact on your life...